


We Are Not Our Masks

by furyofthephoenix



Series: We Are Not Our Masks [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League (2017), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Badass Women, Batfleck - Freeform, Bechdel Test Pass, Bruce Needs a Hug, Clark Kent is Alive, DC comics - Freeform, DC universe - Freeform, F/M, Feminism, Hacker, Humor, I hope, No Beta, Post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Protective Bruce Wayne, Smut, Superheroes, Supervillains, badassery, batfamily, die hard - Freeform, girl talk, i hope this story makes sense, lol, sassy alfred
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-02-04 01:21:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12760206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furyofthephoenix/pseuds/furyofthephoenix
Summary: Ellie Rhodes knew she lived a pretty normal life - living in a world where superheroes were a daily occurrence - but who could have predicted that all of that would change as soon as she encountered the Bat of Gotham? Not to mention the second she crossed paths with the infamous billionaire and bachelor, Bruce Wayne.





	1. Hurricane

**Author's Note:**

> **This is actually a sequel to my other Aquaman story Take Me to Church and as Bruce Wayne/Batman I picture for this Batfleck - if that's not your thing, I don't want to hear your complaints. I apologize for any inaccuracy regarding the tech stuff! :D**
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> **Big thank you to my beta** _ **TheWorldBookGirl**_ **for sharing her knowledge with me. I don't own the DC Universe and it's characters, only Ellie.**
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> **I hope you like this. Enjoy.**

_And there's a storm you're starting_

_I'm a wanderess_

_I'm a one night stand_

_Don't belong to no city_

_Don't belong to no man_

_I'm the violence in the pouring rain_

_I'm a hurricane_

_**-"Hurricane" by Halsey-** _

* * *

"No, I just arrived this week. This time I want to stay here," Ellie said into her phone. Her feet moved up and down in her apartment, while putting her essentials in her bag. She always had this routine down to pat, where she needed something to do with herself when she started a new job.

"Wow, you're actually the only person I know who would willingly want to move to and stay in Gotham."

"Gotham's not so bad. It has…character."

Ellie heard her friend chuckle sardonically. "And here you are defending your hometown."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'd rather be here in this crime-infested city than Amnesty Bay in fucking _Maine_ ," Ellie assured her best friend.

"Oh, you just know how to hurt my feelings, don't you?"

She glanced at the clock and noted that it was almost time to leave. "Okay, Alyssa, have to run now, hon."

Alyssa sighed. "Okay, you go take care of those defenseless computers and," her voice lowered to a whisper, "if you see Bruce Wayne, pretty please, take a picture and tell me if he's as yummy as people say."

Ellie rolled her eyes, knowing that her friend was being silly. "You have a boyfriend, Lyss."

"And I'm allowed to look, as far as I'm concerned."

Ellie laughed wholeheartedly. "Fine. Although it seems highly unlikely for an IT girl to meet the CEO of a leading international multi corporation. Bye."

"Bye, sweetie," Alyssa said before hanging up.

Ellie prepared her messenger bag with her tablet, a bagel, and a coffee-filled travel mug before making her way out to Wayne Enterprises by car. This morning she'd received an email from the company notifying her of a problem with their main server, possibly a virus, but it was nothing she hadn't handled before.

A security guard handed her a visitor's pass as she stepped into the waiting area. Ellie thought nothing of the resounding 'ding' in the lobby until she heard footsteps heading in her direction when footsteps were nearing her. Out of reflex, she stood up to greet the person and her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the man standing before her.

"Lucius Fox," was all Ellie found herself able to say, her mind taking a seat on the sidelines, it seemed.

Lucius chuckled, a sound Ellie wouldn't have expected from the head of R&D. "That was supposed to be my line. You must be Elizabeth Rhodes." They shook hands, and Ellie might have held his hand longer than was the norm.

A blush rose to her cheeks as she shook her head in apology and stumbled over her following words. "I'm sorry, you're essentially my tech idol. I wasn't aware you'd be escorting me! And Ellie's just fine, or whatever."

" _Miss Rhodes_. Come on this way." With an amused glint in his eyes, he gestured straight ahead. She grabbed her things with a bashful chuckle as he led her to the elevators. While they waited for blinking numbers inside the elevator to reach 22, Lucius briefed her on the situation.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice. It was a bit of a critical problem."

"Of course! That's what I'm here for." She waved a hand casually. "What's the matter?"

"For starters, normally we'd bring it to our Head of IT department, but unfortunately he's unavailable and I thought we'd let this problem be handled by someone objective and trustworthy. Your firm has some high reviews from our partner firms in Metropolis and Central City."

"Happy to help. Can you elaborate on the problem?"

"On my expertise, I'd say it's a virus, but I've never seen a virus like this." The elevator dinged open on their intended floor.

She furrowed her brows in puzzlement. "Okay. My interest is piqued." At his raised eyebrow, she backpedaled (maybe needlessly). "I mean, my tech interest is piqued. I like a good puzzle. I really hope I can help." She bit her lower lip in admonishment, hoping to shut herself up.

"I hope so, too."

* * *

"Okay, now … this … looks bad," Ellie stated ominously.

"Hmm," Lucius hummed in agreement. "How long do you think this will take?" He turned his body towards her to give her his attention.

"Give me 12 hours." Ellie said lightly before giggling. "I always wanted to say that."

Lucius, already anticipating her quirkiness, merely smirked to himself. "Suit yourself. If you need anything, just let Brenda at the front desk know."

"Sure." She flashed him a smile, and with that he left her to her own devices. That was her favorite part of her work — the peace and quiet that gave her time to think and to be on her own.

Though now, meeting Lucius Fox was a close second.

She focused on her task and connected her tablet to the mainframe. As far as Ellie could tell, this virus seemed deeply rooted and didn't appear overly hostile, just … siphoning. She knew that such a virus couldn't be put there remotely; it had to be done manually. Well, it looked like there was rotten egg, if not a few, in Wayne Enterprises.

With a little poking around, she could find out what this polymorph was targeting and who the bad egg at Wayne Enterprises was.

* * *

Well, the good news was that it didn't take twelve hours to find the culprit. Granted, it was difficult at first, due to this virus changing its pattern constantly, but she managed. Ellie felt relieved as she rode with Brenda down to the R&D department, to Mr. Fox's office or lab or whatever. The bad news was that she had to deliver the _bad news_ to him.

"I'll leave you to it, then," the short, kind woman said, excusing herself.

"Thank you." Ellie took the time to admire the floor-to-ceiling windows on her left as she drew nearer to Lucius. She stopped short and took a deep calming breath when she saw him transfixed in his own work, his head slightly bent over his table and his hand guiding a pen over a stack of papers. Ellie knocked on the doorframe and smiled nervously when she got his attention.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fox?"

Lucius took a look at his watch and raised his eyebrows. "I heard you were fast," he remarked, impressed, as he stood to greet her.

Ellie laughed shyly at that and waved her tablet. "I found the problem. I just wanted you to tell me how to deal with it regarding the … situation."

This seemed to sober up the usually joyful man,who crossed his arms in serious focus. "Elaborate."

"So," she laid her tablet on his desk to display their problems, "the siphon was after two specific things. For one, it was extracting money in small amounts from the pension fund, and for another, it was stealing secret corporation details." With a few taps, Ellie brought up a list of monetary values, showcasing their dilemma and articles mentioning confidential Wayne Enterprises secrets quoted by an anonymous source.

"I see," Lucius murmured with a grave voice.

"The thing is, the siphon could only be implanted manually by someone who had exclusive access to the server room," Ellie admitted, already anticipating Lucius' next question.

"Do you know who it was?"

"Your Head of IT. Robert Orville."

A long pause filled the room with trepidation before Lucius responded. "Thank you, dear," he offered gratefully.

"Mr. Fox, I know whatever you decide about Mr. Orville is your choice, but what do you want me to do about the siphon?"

"Make sure it's cut out of the systems."

"Of course." Ellie tucked her tablet under her arm and went to see herself out before remembering something and turning back to Lucius. "I took the liberty of putting the money back, Mr. Fox. I hope you don't mind."

Lucius raised his eyes to meet hers.. "Thank you, dear. Oh, and before I forget, would you like to come to a fundraiser tomorrow night, Miss Rhodes? I know it's pretty short notice, but consider it a thank you for your contribution today."

"Hm," she hummed in mock consideration. "I might have the time, although…what's it for, penguins?" She shot him a teasing smirk, knowing all too well that Gotham's elite loved throwing fundraisers, charity balls and whatnot.

Lucius laughed at that. His eyes twinkled in delight. "No, but close enough. It's for the reconstruction of the Cobblepot Zoo," he offered lightly.

Smiling fondly, Ellie nodded. "I used to love going there. I guess I have no other plans, so sure. Count me in."

"Wonderful. I'll see you then, Miss Rhodes." Lucius shook her hand in goodbye with a firm grip.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Fox. And sorry again for being a mess before." She still couldn't believe how she'd behaved at the beginning and hoped she could leave a good impression.

"Likewise. And no worries."


	2. Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie goes to the fundraisers and meets a surprising guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back again. The moment of truth, decided to briefly include another character you all know and love. Let's see if I can turn this fic into a Halsey inspired thing! ;)
> 
> Oh, tomorrow (Dec, 4th) is my birthday, so my gift to you, guys! 
> 
> A big thank you to my beta darling _TheWorldBookGirl_. Quite possible that I might edit this one again because I decided to publish this without letting my beta get a good look at this and I think you guys should get to read this after two weeks. I don't own anything, but Ellie. 
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> Read and enjoy everyone!

_Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise_

_Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised_

_And now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it_

_Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it_

_I'm headed straight for the castle_

_They wanna make me their queen_

_And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean_

_I'm headed straight for the castle_

_They've got the kingdom locked up_

_**-Castle by Halsey-** _

* * *

Ellie had always imagined charity balls or fundraisers in general to have a certain exciting edge but now that she could actually mingle among Gotham richest, the brunette realized it was honestly pretty damn boring. She sighed and carefully pulled at the hem of her black long-sleeved lace dress, hoping her water with lemon will lift her spirits a bit. Highly unlikely. Her high hopes were rather in seeing Lucius Fox again and that he was just as hopeless when it came to these social events.

Her problem was probably her hopelessness in social gatherings - or just being a social person.

Ellie was just hearing some socialites bragging about how much money they spent on tonight's event when a deep male voice resounded behind her, "You don't support a good cause?"

She stilled and turned her body sideways, gazing upon a man in a black suit who was sporting a scruffy look and some gray lines in his hair. Not that it was a bad thing.

She was sure that her head barely reached his shoulder, so she had to look up. "Normally I would but I guess I'm just bored out of my mind." Ellie chuckled abashedly and her companion joined in. "I probably imagined this thing to be more exciting," she confessed and weaved her fingers through her chin-length wavy hair.

The man leaned slightly towards her as if whispering a little secret, giving her a whiff of his musk cologne. "Trust me, these charity events don't get more exciting. This is all you will get. I know from experience."

A giggle left her lips - _oh God, where did that come from?_ \- and she took a sip from her drink. It seemed like this was the first time a smile actually was shown on her face since she arrived.

"I'm taking this is not for pleasure?" The guy sent her a teasing grin and leaned with her against the pillar, displaying a casual picture for a guy who seemed to be like an entrepreneur or celebrity, with the way he looked.

That gave her pause. "Someone … my current employer invited me here. And I actually had an inner conflict with myself regarding either Netflix and baggy pants, or cocktail dress and zoo animals." A mocking smile was sent his way as Ellie waited for his sly retort.

His gaze wandered over her body. "Well, I, and the zoo animals are glad not to see you in baggy pants then. Although it would likely still be a good look on you."

Ellie rolled her eyes to mask her blushing cheeks and was grateful when he continued, "And it's a relief to be talking to someone who doesn't appear to be a CEO, socialite, or … some arm candy."

"Oh, my billionaire boyfriend is over there, schmoozing the mayor while getting handsy with said wife," she joked. Who knew that these kind of parties could actually be fun? As long as you were with the right person who didn't take things too seriously. It looked like she finally found some companion to talk to who wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

"I'm just glad to talk to someone who doesn't want to try to impress me with his money." She rolled her eyes again at the thought of that sleazeball who tried to lure her to his yacht. As if. He only let out a hoarse chuckle after hearing her words.

Her gaze went over Handsome again and bit her lip in thought. "Hi, I'm Ellie. Nice to meet you," she introduced herself with an outstretched hand.

After a pause he reciprocated the motion firmly. "The name's Bruce. My pleasure."

Ellie smiled at that and took a sip from her drink, wanting to moisten her now dry mouth. "You new in Gotham?" She heard him say and pursed her lips in consideration. "Uh, not really. Born in Gotham but had to move previously to Blüdhaven and Amnesty Bay because of my work. Now, I'm just glad I get to come back home. You?"

That pulled a deep and throaty laugh from Bruce. He looked at her pensively and in confusion. "No." A smile still laced his lips. "Born and raised. Never left, doubt I ever will."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I just talked to my best friend about it who just couldn't believe I would willingly want to stay in a city where the crime rate is the highest." A buzzing in her clutch, stopped whatever Bruce was about to say. "Excuse me, please," she said and pulled out her vibrating cell phone. A few minutes ago she wouldn't have minded a distraction but now…

"Of course," he graciously offered.

"Hey, D. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I just wanted to check in on you. What are you doing?"

Her gaze went over to Bruce who sent her a charming smile before focusing back on the call. "Oh, I'm back here in Gotham. I was actually invited to a fundraiser. Who'd have thought I'll go to one of these things one day, huh? And where are you, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm … just with a friend in … Metropolis," Diana answered before she heard her slightly call out to someone, "No, Clark, it's okay. I don't mind the cold. Who'd have thought this kind of place would have reception, huh?"

"Everything okay?" Ellie frowned. "I didn't know Metropolis had cold temperatures."

"No, it's … uh, I'm at a friend's place and he thinks, never mind. So, hopefully I get to see you soon as long as you're still in Gotham. Stay safe, okay."

"Yep, bye, D."

"Bye, sweetie."

With that Ellie hung up and turned back around to see Lucius had joined Bruce, who was thankfully still standing there. She stopped short before she put a smile on her face in greeting.

"Good evening, Mr. Fox. Thank you again for inviting me." She shook him by the hand and felt glad to see a familiar face.

"And I'll tell you again, it was my pleasure. I take it Bruce has been keeping you company?" She noticed Lucius send Bruce a teasing look, almost bordering on sassy. Bruce just glared at him in return.

Ellie hesitated in question. "Wait, do you two know each other?" She waved her hand to indicate between them, Ellie felt like she was missing something crucial.

A feeling of embarrassment rained over her when both heads turned to her in unison. Even before Lucius opened his mouth to elaborate, Ellie already knew what he was about to say and she felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. Who was she kidding? The name 'Bruce' should have rang some bells when they were talking about CEO's, billionaires, and entrepreneurs!

Ellie only covered her face in shame and twisted her features in distaste, hoping the fundraiser floor would swallow her whole. "Oh my God, could someone please kill me right now?"

She could have sworn she had heard Bruce chuckle at that in response. Smug bastard.

Ellie breathed out the stress like some yoga exercise. _Well, good luck with that._ And looked up to see the dark-skinned man to be holding in a chuckle while the CEO of Wayne Enterprises appeared to be gauging her reaction.

Lucius used that moment to break the tension-filled situation. "I take it, Miss Rhodes, you had the opportunity of meeting Bruce Wayne?" He kept on talking as if they were doing small talk. Now, Ellie could really see the true nature of Lucius Fox, he was a closet wise-cracker. "I was just talking to Bruce about the good work you did today."

Clearing her throat, Ellie displayed a small smile. "Well, I was happy to help," she replied meekly and she caught sight of a waiter passing by. "Excuse me, please, I need alcohol now." And with that strode over to the bar without looking backwards but could have sworn she had heard Lucius say mockingly to Bruce, "Great work, Bruce. Now you have chased her off."

* * *

Normally she hated alcohol but she told herself, desperate times called for desperate measures as she took a sip from her Sidecar. Ellie already knew she would get buzzed from a few drinks, she was a true lightweight when it came to drinking alcohol.

"I apologize if I didn't say it before but … you look beautiful." She heard that hoarse voice say, not knowing if either to feel flattered he took it upon himself to follow her or annoyed to be reminded of her worst mistake she made this evening.

Ellie took a sidelong glance and tried to ignore his molten gaze. "If you're trying to make me feel better, … I don't think this works that way." She raised her eyebrows daringly and felt strangely hypnotized by his large, sinewy hands as they covered the bar counter.

"I'm sorry I was under the impression you were aware of who I am and it was actually refreshing to talk to someone who looked at these sort of events in a different way." As far as she could tell Bruce appeared slightly contrite.

Ellie had to laugh at that. "Oh, I'm so sorry for not instantly recognizing you from those countless gossip rags I saw you in," she teased, yet trying to stay on his good side.

"It's okay." He shrugged as if he couldn't care less. Or maybe guys really were digging it when girls insulted him.

"Anyway, I initially came to tell you I was thankful for what you did to the company. If it weren't for you, many lives would have been ruined, or it might have taken us longer to realize."

Ellie felt truly humbled at his words and the first thing she did was stammer in response, "Yes,... uh, I was aware of the significance of what could have been."

"Not to mention the pace you managed to accomplish it in. What was it that Lucius said?" Bruce tilted his head as if he were trying to solve a complicated math problem, while it appeared like he already knew the answer. "Delivering a solution in under 12 hours. Truly remarkable."

"Ha ha. Very funny." She mockingly laughed and rolled her eyes at his antics. She didn't take Bruce Wayne to be such a banterer, but well … being one of Gotham's finest eligible bachelors he seemed to have other good qualities besides the obvious for most - his money and of course his good looks.

"And what brings you and Lucius to a fundraiser set on rebuilding the Gotham Zoo?" It had piqued her interest ever since Lucius invited her to this thing, and also the fact someone wanted to see the Cobblepot Zoo rise to its glory despite how many years had passed since there were actually living animals frequenting its place.

"Lucius is a close friend who always helped me with the financial aspects, not to mention I'm the one funding this event in the first place."

"Oh." Well, she shouldn't be surprised there. This guy was funding so many institutions, starting from orphanages, hospitals, and even the police force. It was almost too good to be true that a billionaire named Bruce Wayne wanted to help the people in Gotham, this man had to have some major flaws or some bodies in his Wayne Manor basement. Who knew, maybe he was into tax evasion.

_Okay, don't try to swoon at this seemingly perfect specimen. Stay focused._

"After so many years? Why now? I seem to recall the zoo has been closed for about ten years or so."

The corners of his mouth lifted as he tilted his head towards her in interest. "You want the official statement version or the unofficial one?"

Ellie smiled and laid her chin on her hand. "I want yours."

There was a slight spark in his eyes she didn't see before and she could have guessed not many people got to see the real Bruce Wayne - no, the real Bruce. "I used to love going there as a kid. It was such a beautiful and calm place, and it was always great to see the other people spend the day there with their family. I mean, Gotham had always been a crime tarnished city but... ever since..." Bruce appeared to be deep in thought and stumbling over his next words. "I want to create a new Gotham. Starting with the small things that used to make this city great."

Ellie cleared her throat and felt at a loss for words at his heartfelt speech. "Wow, are you sure you didn't give me the press speech?" She smiled crookedly and stared at him in awed confusion.

Bruce laughed at that, breaking the dark mood he seemed to be in while he was talking about how Gotham used to be.

Their personal talk was cut short when a waiter came to talk to Bruce, "Excuse me, Mr. Wayne?" His clenched jaw showed his annoyance towards the interruption. "But a man named Mr. Queen is here now. Said he wants to talk to you." With that, the man chose wisely to leave them be.

"What is he doi-" Bruce's confusion and irritation over seeing that man seemed apparent. From the distance, and without her glasses she could only see some big, blonde, and beefy guy in a tuxedo lean casually against the opposing wall, raising a drink in his hand in teasing.

Knowing he was needed elsewhere, Ellie decided to cut this evening short as she grabbed her clutch and wanted to pay for her drinks. "Well, it was certainly nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne, but it looks like I need to get going either way."

His hand held on to her hand, stopping her motion to pay. "Please, you can call me Bruce. And this is on me."

Ellie debated with herself, capable of settling her own bills but then... "Okay, fine. Seems fitting, I already contributed 20 dollars for charity," she said, making him chuckle with a shaking head.

"And it was a pleasure to meet you too," he told her in goodbye, sending her warm gaze which made her feel the cool air against her heated skin as Bruce shook her hand.

Ellie took her hand and turned around before saying, "Well, I guess I'll see you around, Mr. Wayne."

That hoarse laugh was definitely her favorite part from the fundraiser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hoped you liked this one as well. This chapter was actually supposed to be shorter, Ellie should have went home after realizing Bruce was Bruce Wayne but I'm glad she decided to stay and have a nice chat with him instead. Sorry, I kind of have a kink where my OC has no idea she's taking to a billionaire and she had other stuff on her mind while she was in Blüdhaven, so she didn't really keep up with gossip.
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> So, anyone had a good guess who Ellie's friend was on the phone? ;) Hehe, I seem to have a thing for wanting to squeeze in DC characters, like that _beefy guy in a tuxedo_ ;)
> 
> Tell me your thoughts in a review if you like. You can also hit me up on instagram (@stepinlilac), tumblr (@love-dria) or twitter (@love_dria).  
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> **Next chapter: Ellie is in for a surprise**  
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> **Til next time!**


	3. New Americana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you ever had a story written but then your beta gives you the kind of recommendations (which left you even more befuddled than before with no idea how to write it) that made you think: "You know what?! F**k this s**t. I no longer care." 
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> So without further ado. No beta. More of a filler.

**_Chapter Three_ **

**_New Americana_ **

_ Cigarettes and tiny liquor bottles, just what you’d expect inside her new Balenciaga _

_ Bad romance, turned dreams into an empire _

_ Self-made success now she rose with Rockafellas _

_ Survival of the richest, the city’s ours until the fall _

_ They're Monaco and Hamptons bound but we don’t feel like outsiders at all _

 

_ We are the new Americana _

_ High on legal marijuana _

_ Raised on Biggie and Nirvana _

_ We are the new Americana _

**_-New Americana by Halsey-_ **

* * *

It felt like an amazing day. For the first time since … she couldn’t even remember, Ellie wasn’t called in for an emergency in the morning or night by her tech security firm ‘ _ TechSec Rhodes’ _ . Not to mention that the mishap of yesterday didn’t appear to be a total bust.

Ellie never would have expected Bruce Wayne to be so … nice and authentic. Maybe she always had this notion that all celebrities or in his case billionaires were so far out of reach, kind of rude and fake. It was still nice to get a small glimpse behind his facade.

She enjoyed these small moments, when she could just enjoy her black tea with milk while her eyes caught the news of another Batman sighting in the East End 

beating up some clowns. A shudder went down her back, clowns always did creep her out.

“I’m guessing you don’t like clowns either?” A familiar voice said behind her. Ellie furrowed her eyebrows and turned around, seeing a face she didn’t expect to see so soon again.

“Mr. Wayne?”

Bruce went around her table, for a change he had forgone his suit jacket, so he was only wearing a dark blue vest over his brighter long-sleeved shirt. She was sure the billionaire was trying for a more casual look and she could have sworn his clothes just amplified the width of his shoulders.

“Do you mind?” He asked and pointed to the seat opposite her.

Ellie shrugged and nervously licked her lips. “Not at all. Although I don’t think it will put me in a good light, if I would refuse you a seat.” The corners of Bruce’s mouth twitched and the slight laughter lines around his eyes were apparent. Ellie was faintly aware of the awed whispers around her as Bruce was sitting in front of her now, while sending her an intense look.

“So, Mr. Wayne, what brings you here?” She was hoping she appeared collected and yet laid-back. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Bruce Wayne frequenting a coffee shop, the thought alone seemed peculiar.

Bruce suppressed a smile and answered, “Bruce, please. And to your question, I thought I’d get myself a cup of coffee.”

Ellie nodded teasingly. “Really. Well, I can say for myself that I frequent this coffee place often and I’ve got to say I never noticed you here before. And I would.”

She raised her eyebrows in challenge and was rewarded with a quick retort, “Maybe I thought I wanted a change of the other coffee shop I normally visit.” Bruce shrugged his shoulder and she nearly laughed at his antics.

“What a coincidence then.”

“So, I’m going to get myself something to drink. You want something?”

Ellie pondered over that. “Hmm, only if they got doughnuts.” Okay, she admitted it, she was kind of -  a total sweet tooth.

Bruce chuckled and went around the table. An additional thought came to mind as he had already gone a few feet away. “Oh, and with sprinkles!” Ellie could only see him shake his head in subdued delight before he came back with the essentials -  a steaming cup of black coffee and a chocolate doughnut with colored sprinkles on a little plate.

“So, I’d rather say this right out in the open, unless I want my mind to get crazy with distressing ideas, but … have you been stalking me?” She leaned forward to create a more secret atmosphere and noticed him stammering non-syllabic words.

“No, I just … yes, I might have done some inquiries where you could be, but I swear I don’t have a wall or even a shrine with your pictures on it. I just … wanted to talk to you.” Bruce seemed earnest when he said it, so Ellie didn’t try to hold it against him.

“Okay,” she pulled the word out in confusion, the curiosity hitting her as she bit her lip while observing him with a tilted head. Ellie shrugged. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

His gaze shortly went to his cup before revealing himself. “I was wondering if you would like the position as my Head of IT?”

Shock stilled her body, the doughnut she was about to eat dangling over her mouth before she found her bearings again. “Why me? I would have thought you’d have chosen someone inside your firm? Not to mention I doubt people would accept me with open arms after I basically fired your last man in that position.” She began eating the sugary sweetness, knowing she could need it now.

“Lucius made the right choice by choosing you in the first place. You got the job done. And for your other concern, you managed to give these people their well-earned money back, I sincerely doubt they would hold it against you.”  _ Damn, this guy could have a future in politics. _

“I have another job! I work independently and can choose my own working hours,” Ellie defended, remembering the countless job offers she had gotten from firms like Kord Industries and LuthorCorp when she graduated from MIT. Although had a letter came in from Wayne Enterprises, she would have seriously rethought her following career choices.

Judging by his reaction, Bruce was already aware of her owning a tech company. He really must have done his homework then. “You can keep your job and delegate your tasks to someone else. I don’t doubt you have some people at TechSec who you can trust to do their jobs, not to mention give them more responsibilities. It’s your choice to make. And we can talk about work hours.” Bruce seemed pretty adamant on getting her on his team, she didn’t dare hope that she might have impressed him with her tech skills the first time.

Ellie was swayed a little bit by his arguments but she wasn’t yet sure about the offer. “Maybe. I’m not sure yet. I mean, I guess I can think about it.” She nibbled on her bottom lip in thought. “I will let you know my decision tomorrow morning. I know it’s pretty urgent to fill that position.” Ellie smiled shyly. “I guess I better get going,” she said, her voice filled with light disappointment, knowing she had to cut this short as she grabbed her things.

And did she imagine it when a flicker of sadness crossed his eyes when she mentioned her departure? “Okay, sure.” Bruce offered a tense smile.

Ellie put on her leather jacket as something crossed her mind. “Oh, and thanks for the doughnut.”

A smile spread on his lips at how her mind worked. “Of course. It was my pleasure.”

And with that she turned her back to go outside, while faint disappointment clouded her being over the thought that she didn’t get to spend a longer conversation with him.

* * *

 

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta admit this was a bit short. But I decided to gift this to @vampgirliegirl @skymichelle and @Pistol_the_Dimension_Hopper who reminded me of this fic. ;) What the heck, I had the time, so ...
> 
> You can find me here: tumblr (@love-dria @watchtowerindistress)


	4. Gasoline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie makes a startling discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another update! I'm trying to post one every week now.
> 
> No beta.
> 
> Sit tight.

**_Chapter Four_ **

**_Gasoline_ **

_Are you high enough without the Mary Jane like me?_

_Do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?_

_Do the people whisper 'bout you on the train like me?_

_Saying that you shouldn't waste your pretty face like me?_

 

_And all the people say_

_You can't wake up, this is not a dream_

_You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

_With your face all made up, living on a screen_

_Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline_

**_-Gasoline by Halsey-_ **

* * *

_~At night, same day~_

Through the whole day Ellie couldn’t stop thinking about the job offer Bruce Wayne had provided. She had always thought she’d keep on working in her own firm, knowing how she liked being independent and not having to operate for someone above her.

Although the notion she detested was that how she used to work for people in the IT department who were always thinking that she was a woman so she probably had no tech skills whatsoever. Or a brain it seemed.

Ellie knew for sure, she’d only take this job if her work hours were decent, she’d still be able to swing by once a week in her other job and being her own boss. Well, … so to speak.

Okay, if she were being honest with herself she was totally tending towards the idea to work for Wayne Enterprises. Not to mention the main reason was Lucius Fox. Oh God, this sounded pathetic. Yes, her tech brain was yearning to learn from someone like him - a man who made it in the high tech world and stayed true to his beliefs. Okay, confession number 2: she may have read some articles in the WIRED magazine on his work in the Research and Development branch.

It was already late night when Ellie was going home after having eaten at her favorite Chinese restaurant. She really didn’t like being out at this time of hour, knowing unsafe the streets were and how eerie Gotham could be sometimes, yet she must have totally forgotten the time while she was fangirling.

The only sounds made in the dark were her boots-clad feet stepping into puddles. A hissing sound behind her stilled her body, sending a shiver all over. Ellie continued walking with faster steps, already used to the Gotham City ritual of dangers and criminals lurking everywhere.

The hiss could be heard again, as if a snake was emitting a warning sound. “Whoever you are, leave me alone. I don’t have time for this shit,” she called out in earnest, not caring who was playing games.

“Why should we go when we just got here?”

Against her better judgment, Ellie slowly turned around with trepidation lacing her veins. In front of her were standing two guys, the words dangerous and menacing and nut jobs came to mind. One was hunched and seemed to be emitting the hissing sounds as he was baring his teeth, while the other just had this crazed look in his eyes, casting a strange and calculating stare over her body.

Goon number 2 whispered monotonously, “She seems perfect. The Professor will be pleased.”

Menace number 1 hissed, “Yes, indeed. Let’s take her and be done with it.” The other one nodded in agreement. “Can we eat her?”

“What?!” Her head whipped to the hisser in shock, just like the second goon cast a sidelong glance in his direction. “No one’s … you’re not getting a bite of me, you hear me? I’m done with you guys, get back to Arkham, why don’t you?” Ellie pointed a threatening finger their way but was soon shell-shocked when the second man stepped forward, his partner staying behind.

“You won’t feel a thing. You’ll fall right asleep. The Professor would want you in one piece for the experiments,” he said in that emotionless tone.

“Come closer if you want your teeth kicked in, I dare you,” Ellie threatened in return, widening her stance in preparation and pulling in deep breaths, despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

But he was fast, she could give him that. His hands shot in the air as if to reach her neck, but she could slap his hands away. Ellie straightened her hand and hit him with all her power against the throat. A hiss could be heard. Goon number 2’s hands went to its bruised spot in reaction, while coughing and bending over.

The hissing sound was now next to her right. She yelped in shock, her eyes ripped open and pulled back when his teeth snapped like a crocodile. Ellie tried to hold him off by pushing her arms against his chest while muttering, “Totally didn’t miss that.”

Ellie summoned all her anger and slammed her elbow right in stomach, putting him on his knees. She was panting out of exertion when a raspy voice whispered near her, “You’re going to regret this.”

Before Ellie could put up her defenses, the calm one had put her in a chokehold from behind, a sharp object put against her neck. She was too distracted to not move a muscle to take notice if it was a syringe or a knife in his hands, the only sounds in the dark alley were their panted breaths. Ellie could have sworn a dark shadow scurrying in the corner of her eyesight, but she was far too engrossed in choosing her next move.

“Now, are you going to be a nice, little girl?” His breath ghosted over the shell of her ear while she could feel his menacing stare assessing her.

She pulled in a few calming breaths to contain her anxiety and buy some time. “Probably not.” And with that she slammed her body against his lower regions as a distraction before headbutting him without turning around. Ellie didn’t come in contact with his face, like at all.

With a gasp she turned around when she no longer felt his stifling presence and saw an empty dark alley, save for some used newspapers fluttering around and a garbage dumpster bordering against a wall of a shop. And both perpetrators leaning against it next to it, but both seemingly unconscious.

“What the hell?”

Before she could comprehend what was happening, Ellie felt the air whoosh around and her stomach drop. She yelped in shock, not liking the feeling of flying, or the like. Looking down she noticed the ground distancing while something was lifting her in the air. Seconds later she was dropped safely on the roof of a building.

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, a weird feeling ghosting over her, as she licked her dry lips. She tilted her head in concentration, the hairs on her neck were rising and she could have sworn she was feeling someone’s eyes on her.

A wafting sound behind her prompted her to turn around with trepidation and Ellie saw a masked man dressed in all black standing in front of her, his cape flapping behind him. Ellie tensed, her eyes wide open in shock - as if the prior event wasn’t worth her sweat.

His unwavering gaze was set on her face, as if he were waiting for her to say something. Oh God, this was her first time meeting Batman and getting saved by him. She should say something meaningful like maybe ‘ _Thank You’_.

“I could have handled that on my own.”

Or that.

Ellie could have sworn Batman was raising his eyebrows underneath his cowl. “I have no doubts about that,” he confessed in an electronic sounding voice, a smirk visible under the mask.

Ellie tilted her head. Somehow the compliment didn’t feel that flattering as she thought. “Then, why did you have to swoop in and save the day?” Ellie didn’t know why she was getting all defensive, she always thought that if the day of meeting the Dark Knight will arrive, she would be swooning and fall into his arms out of gratitude.

Batman hummed, saying with a teasing voice. “I’d have expected more or less a ‘ _Thank You’_ but … I guess there’s a first time for everything.”

Knowing she was behaving like a petulant child, Ellie inhaled a deep breath. “You’re right.” She displayed a tense smile, barely noticing under the moon his short stubble and a mole on his right cheek. “I just don’t like flying, or whatever. And despite me being fine just on my own, I appreciate the help.”

The caped crusader seemed to nod in understanding. “It’s okay. And I will try to refrain from doing so next time.”

Ellie’s head whipped to him in reaction. “Oh God, please don’t tell me there is going to be a next time,” she exclaimed, her stomach was already churning in protest.

The dressed vigilante chuckled, which admittedly sounded a bit strange with the voice scrambler. “Already dreading it?”

“No, don’t get me wrong,” Ellie protested vehemently. “It’s nothing against you. I just don’t really like the idea of me getting into trouble so soon.”

With a subdued smile Batman nodded in agreement. “I understand and no hard feelings.” He looked down on the ground. “You want me to drop you off again?”

“No,” Ellie exclaimed instantly. “I’ll take the stairs back down.”

Batman tilted his head pondering. “As you wish,” he stated before dropping off the building, his cape creating a wafting sound in the cold night air.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thrown away by the amount of feedback I got for the last chapter. That's how you do it, sending me awesome reviews and how amazing you think Ellie is.


	5. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little recap and Ellie takes care of business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, nearly forgot to post this but all is well. Currently working on my own original story based on Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher. Let's hope I can pull this off and pull through actually.
> 
> Enjoy. Reviews are appreciated.

**_Chapter Five_ **

**_Ghost_ **

_ Want them wearing leather _

_ Begging, let me be your taste test _

_ I like the sad eyes, bad guys _

_ Mouth full of white lies _

_ Kiss me in the corridor _

_ But quick to tell me goodbye _

_ You say that you're no good for me _

_ 'Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve _

_ And I swear I hate you when you leave _

_ I like it anyway _

 

_ My ghost _

_ Where'd you go? _

_ I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me _

_ My ghost _

_ Where'd you go? _

_ What happened to the soul you used to be? _

**_-Ghost by Halsey-_ **

* * *

As soon as Ellie woke up around 5 o’clock, she knew this day was of importance - it was a wonder she didn’t have trouble sleeping and was waking up crankily. Well … she did have trouble sleeping but she was grateful that she didn’t wake up a cranky mess. The brunette was pondering over the fact that she would from now on work for the international multi corporation. The thought that she would have to let her colleagues know, crossed her mind. Ellie would have to do that on her way to Bruce’s firm. Well, talk about last minute. She was hoping they wouldn't resent that.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, knowing her usual morning routine was in order coupled with a few preparations.

With sluggish steps Ellie dragged her feet to the kitchen to prepare herself some black tea and French toast. The water was already steaming as soon as she put the soggy bread into the frying pan and soon enough she was putting everything together and sitting against her desk which had her laptop situated on top of it.

With a yawn Ellie sat down and booted her computer and gazed through the window in front of her, the city was still clouded in the early darkness and it would take another few hours until it would brighten up.

Absentmindedly Ellie was eating bites of the sweet toast when she decided to fire up the search engine and type in two words:  _ Bruce Wayne _ .

Feeling the curiosity about her new boss envelop her, the pictures lining up with his arm candy next to him, never the same woman twice, caught her attention. Well, nothing new there, Ellie already knew that, not to mention it was sort of a given to be a known playboy when you were a billionaire.

Ellie raised her eyebrows when she even came across a fan page of him which was really dedicated, concerning all the official public dates and shootings he ever did in the past. The brunette just chose to read an older article which displayed his doings since he essentially came back from the “dead” and how his company fared from now on.

To be honest she had always wondered what he had been doing while he was gone, never to been seen again for 10 years. Since then he had decided to take over his family’s firm, being supported and guided by his mentor and friend, Lucius Fox.

So far Bruce appeared to be a good employer, he seemed to care about his people and made sure they were supported. Well, no surprise there. That guy was funding charities all over Gotham and Ellie could tell Bruce cared about his staff based on the reactions on his face when she met him during the zoo fundraiser.

Feeling spontaneous Ellie decided to call her friend, hoping she wouldn’t be too mad she was calling her up so early in the morning. “Hey, Lyss, you awake?”

A grumble could be heard through the phone. “Wha-? Now I certainly am.”

“Sorry.” A rebuked smile displayed on her face.

Alyssa groaned. “You’re lucky, hon. Not even Arthur would get a free pass for calling me so early. What’s going on?”

_ Oh God, where to start? _ Ellie knew Alyssa will totally freak, should she find out she had met Bruce Wayne who wanted to offer her a job. Ellie chose to say everything in one go. “So, uh… so I took care of the problem at Wayne’s, talked to Lucius Fox, met Bruce Wayne at a fundraiser and now he offered me a job at his company.” The breath left her mouth, feeling the weight on her shoulders ease up.

The silence on the other didn’t hold up for long. “What?! You met Fox and … you met Bruce Wayne and that guy wanted you to work for him?!” It sounded more like a yelped scream, Ellie was half expecting her boyfriend to wake up.

“Yes?” Ellie’s answer left her lips as a question.

“And you’re telling me this now?!  _ Sorry, Arthur, no, just go back to sleep.  _ But that was … two days ago, wasn’t it?”

“Sorry.” It just felt like yesterday when she received an email from Lucius Fox to take care of a virus on their servers. “There were just so many things happening.” Ellie shrugged, knowing she had the tendency to not let others know about what was going on in her life.

“Congrats. You’re getting me to make coffee already.” Ellie giggled shamelessly. “So, you met Fox? Did he survive your fangirl attack?”

Ellie kindheartedly rolled her eyes and took a sip from her drink, shutting off her laptop in the process. “Don’t worry. It wasn’t a breakdown per se but … he survived unscathed.”

Alyssa snorted with laughter. “That’s good to hear. And now to the juicy bits … tell me everything about Bruce Wayne. Is he hot? Did you take pictures? Do you have his number? Did you guys flirt?”

Ellie chuckled at her friend’s antics, answering slowly to ease her into it. “Yes, he’s very good-looking, Nope, I didn’t take a picture of him, nor did I make a selfie of us together. No, I don’t have the number of the most eligible bachelor. And …” Ellie furrowed her brows in thought. “he did _kind of_ flirt.”

Alyssa gasped dramatically. “You little tease.”

Ellie laughed and shook her head. “It was more … a teasing battle of words.” Even hearing it come out of her mouth sounded kind of strange.

Alyssa seemed to mull that over. “Okaay. Whatever that just meant.”

“Besides, I can’t afford it to flirt with my future boss.”

“So, you decided to take him up on that offer?”

Ellie let out a breath she was holding. “Yep. It’d be nice to let Sky take over. I’ll just have to stop by on TechSec once a week for the team meeting. I’ll let them know later on today. I never thought I’d work as some corporate cog, but … I really like the idea of working with Fox and maybe learn something. Who knows?” She shrugged, letting the rhetorical question hang in the air.

“It sounds amazing. Whatever you want to do, Rhodes.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, knowing that Alyssa always had the perfect words to say to her. “Oh, sorry again for calling so early again and to Arthur.”

Alyssa chuckled dismissively. “No sweat. I’ll make it up to him later on.”

Ellie scoffed and rolled her eyes, with a smile on her face.

* * *

_ ~An hour later~ _

“Wow, you really think I can do this?”

Ellie laughed good-heartedly. “Sky, I’m sure. You’re my second and my first choice. You’ve been here from the beginning. You just do the same thing you’ve always been doing.” She put a supporting hand on her bare shoulder, she always loved her grunge look with her black clothes with some ripped jeans and a shirt with a bare midriff. Maybe because she also tended to wear clothes in the dark to purple variety and dark purple lipstick.

Skylar was a beautiful and young woman from Iceland with a very pale complexion and white hair that nearly bordered on silver. The dark style contrasted her natural fair skin and hair perfectly though.

She always liked people who had their own style which couldn’t be seen twice on the streets.

Despite her choosing a dark look, Sky was still a really sweet and capable girl.

“But I don’t really  _ talk _ to them in person!” Sky’s outburst made her smile, it was a wonderful feeling she was experiencing, like she was seeing her child grow up. This tech firm was sort of her baby, like her colleagues were her family.

“You don’t have to worry. Take a deep breath, Skylar.” She did as she was instructed and let it out. “I’ll be here on Fridays like usually for our meetings. Okay?”

Sky nodded numbly as if in agreement. “Yes, okay, sure. I can do this. No worries there, Ellie.”

Ellie smiled satisfied. “Okay. And just so you know, you have my number if you want to talk, or something, okay?

“Yes, thank you. And for this opportunity, for believing in me.” That put a smile on both of their faces, feeling like she was starting to get sentimental, Ellie decided to cut their conversation short.

A look on the time prompted her to bid farewell. “So, I have to go. I’ll see you the end of the week. In the meantime, good luck, dear.”

“I appreciate it.” The last thing she remembered when leaving was the wide smile on her dark lips.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?
> 
> Find me on tumblr (@love-dria) and also here is my Kastle sideblog (@everythingiskastle) where I shamelessly promote myself. ;)
> 
> Until next week.


	6. Heaven in Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie makes a choice ad meets a feisty redhead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually one of my favourite chapters to write, mostly because of one single character which will be introduced here.
> 
> Warning: Just a bit of Language.
> 
> Enjoy.

**_Chapter Six_ **

**_Heaven in Hiding_ **

_ Sittin' on the counter in your kitchen _

_ Can you hear my heartbeat fucking kickin'? _

_ Your eyes light up 'cause you best believe _

_ That I got something on my sleeve _

_ I walk my talk, no time for wishful thinking _

_ I push up on my toes, you call me "sweet thing" _

_ And breathin' down your neck, your body screaming _

_ And you thought you were the boss tonight _

_ But I can put up one good fight _

_ I flip the script like I can take a beating _

**_-Heaven in Hiding by Halsey-_ **

* * *

Ellie was glad that she woke up in the early morning. This way she could prepare herself in the emotional sense and food extent.

She was standing in the lobby of Wayne Enterprises, waiting for Bruce’s executive assistant to collect her. In the meantime the brown-haired woman was sweeping her hands over her purple body-con dress which reached above her knees, its front not showing her cleavage but the back showing some skin. Ellie added her leather jacket to it and her beloved black biker boots to it, knowing she had no interest in wearing high heels, better they got used to it in the beginning.

As usual she had curled her hair every few days, so her tresses looked like a wavy mess and like she didn’t care at all about her physical appearance - which was true, judging on her footwear.

Ellie adjusted her wide-rimmed glasses on top of her nose and involuntarily smiled in relief when the ding of the elevator sounded with likely Bruce’s assistant holding the door open and calling out, “Ms. Rhodes.”

“Yep, that’s me,” she confirmed with a smile and energetically rushed into the lift with him. “Thank you,” Ellie replied, implying his chivalry.

“You’re welcome. Mr. Wayne is currently in a meeting but it is nearly finished, so you don’t have to wait long. You can wait until then in his office.”

“Okay.” She nodded in understanding and was glad when they arrived with the doors opening. The executive assistant, whose name she found out was Atticus, whoa _ , To Kill a Mockingbird  _ flashbacks, had led her into the office of Bruce.

Ellie was astounded by the view of his office, standing before the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the whole city starting from the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub, the Gotham University with its own football team  _ -Go, Nighthawks!-  _ and on the far corner of the city was Arkham Asylum.

The doors clicking shut behind her and a voice speaking, made her turn around. “I see you are enjoying the view. Sorry that took so long.”

Ellie waved a hand dismissively. “Well, yes, it’s amazing here. And it’s no problem, really.” Bruce stepped forward and appeared a bit anxious when he asked his question, “So … did you make your choice?”

“Yes.” Ellie nodded in agreement. “And the answer is ‘ _ yes’ _ .” A smile graced her face when she noticed how Bruce was letting out the breath he had been holding.

“That’s good news.” Bruce cleared his throat to wipe away any mirth from his face. “I take it, you took care of the future at your own firm?”

Ellie bobbed her head, smiling. “Yep, everything is in order.”

“Great.” Bruce waved with his hand to the doors. “Shall we?” And with these words he led her to Lucius Fox’s office to whom he just teasingly offered, “She’s all yours.” To Ellie’s surprise he sent her a wink, which lifted her mood and created a warm, tingling feeling in her stomach.

Ellie shook her head with rolling eyes for good measure and turned to the head of the Research and Development section, smiling fondly. “So, show me what you got.”

* * *

Ellie was swiveling in her revolving chair, enjoying her new office as Head of IT - it was truly bigger than she first expected. She could bet that Lucius had heard her cry of joy when he left her alone after he showed her the tour of the company.

A soft knock at the door made her look up and smiled softly when she saw Bruce step forward. “How is your first day?”

Ellie doubted the smile on her face could be wiped anytime soon. “I-it’s great. So far I like it.”

Bruce tilted his head. “So far.” He chuckled. “I like the vote of confidence.” He casually sat on the edge of her desk, folding his hands on his lap. Bruce cleared his throat. “Uh, I take it this has been your first week back in Gotham?”

“Yep, I used to work in Blüdhaven and Amnesty Bay in Maine before.” Ellie shrugged wistfully. “But I guess there’s no place like home.”

Bruce shared a smile with her at her words. “Despite Gotham’s crime rate?”

Ellie sighed. “I have gotten used to it - in Blüdhaven, and here of course. Although Blüdhaven is a pretty close second to Gotham.”

Ellie saw Bruce slightly clench his jaw and furrow his eyebrows. “Did something happen?”

She groaned and righted her glasses. “Just some weird people, I guess.” Ellie shrugged noncommittally and frowned when the next thought crossed her mind. “And meeting Batman?” She was still perplexed by the whole event itself.

“Oh.” Bruce seemed interested and focused on her, narrowing his eyes in concentration.

She did her recap of the night before and her impression of the Dark Knight. “It’s just … I don’t know, I could have handled it myself. I’m not really the kind of girl who screams for help.” Ellie’s ego was still a bit wounded by that.

Bruce displayed a fond smile at her admitted words. “There are not many people I know who’d say they could take care of themselves.” She could have sworn there was pride lacing his voice.

Ellie blushed at the praising assessment. “Well, I might be a bit miffed because of the flying action. I seriously could do without that.” She awkwardly scratched her neck and frowned in confusion when she noticed a tense smile on Bruce’s face.  

“Afraid of heights?”

“Not really. Just motion sickness. Can’t even go on rollercoasters. I’m a real blast,” she confessed in an embarrassed tone and was slightly mollified by his answer.

“You have other qualities, I’m sure.”

Ellie gave him a soft look, noticing how his eye color was somewhere between a dark brown and a golden hue, his gray streaks on both sides of his hair yet displaying handsome and sophisticated features for his age. He was sending her an intense gaze in return, creating a certain glowing spark in his eyes.

Their shared moment was interrupted by a knock on her door. She cleared her throat, stroking a gone astray lock behind her ear and called out, “Yes?”

The first thing she noticed when this person put the head through the gap of the entrance were the fiery red locks. “Am I interrupting?”

Ellie tilted her head and smiled in greeting. “No, uh, who are you?”

This prompted the woman to step through the door and to stand next to Bruce, who had stood up from her desk and was now smiling fondly at this new acquaintance standing in her office. He merely decided to offer, “And that’s my cue. This is Barbara. She’s in IT as well and will be working for you.” Bruce was now standing behind her, laying his hands on the redhead’s shoulders, his head nearly 1 ½ heads taller.

Barbara snorted in laughter. “Babs is fine. And I’ll be working  _ with  _ you,” she stated confidently and looking up towards Bruce in mirth.

Bruce shook his head, teasingly. “I know when I’m not wanted. So … be nice to her. I intend to keep her,” he said, directing his words to Barbara, a fond smile gracing his features which was meant for both girls, before he bid his goodbye.

“So … this may sound weird, but it’s really nice to work with a woman again.”

Barbara only laughed and adjusted the glasses on her face. Ellie noticed through this motion how the color of her eyes may appear blue but were actually bordering on purple. Wow, it was like talking to a Targaryen without the silver white hair.

“No, I get it.” She rolled her eyes for effect. “It gets tedious after a while to work for men who actually think they know what they’re doing but they’re not.” Barbara sighed in displeasure as if remembering something. “Just like this guy - you know, the former Head of IT - he was such an asshole for what he did.”

Agreeing and a bit astounded by the ferocity of Barbara’s words, Ellie replied, “Yes, definitely, and I’m glad I can do a change. I think I just crashed someone’s world when I told him to stop downloading porn on his malware-infested laptop.”

Barbara nodded with a wry smirk, her face grimacing as if having an uncomfortable memory. If she had to take a guess it wasn't unusual to detect something like this. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

A look at her watch showed it was nearly lunch break. “So, I was wondering, are you hungry? I wanted to go over to the Rose Cafe, the only place in Gotham which serves some good coffee. You interested?”

Barbara offered a brilliant smile. “Yes, I would love to.”

* * *

“So, you’re saying you used to live here before,” Barbara asked curiously, slowly stirring her coffee, looking up at her in concentration.

“Yep, just came back. Used to live in Blüdhaven,” the redhead’s hand stilling before dropping the spoon with a clank on the saucer, “and then for a short while in Maine. I’ve got to say … I missed it here. And yes, I know it sounds weird with this place being all kind of dark like Blüdhaven essentially, but I always imagined this to be the place where I got to have kids and growing old one day.”

Barbara nodded and raised her cup like for a toast, Ellie doing the same with confusion lacing her slow movements. “To growing old in Gotham.”

Ellie giggled at her sassy ways, clanking it against hers in unison. “To growing old in Gotham.” She displayed a wry smile on her features, definitely liking Barbara Gordon.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

Barbara huffed with shrugging shoulders. “Well, not much to say. My uncle who is the commissioner at GCPD adopted me after my mother died. He's like the Dad I never had. Let’s see, interests: always liked repairing computers and stuff like that. And fun fact, I’m actually much smarter than people give me credit for.”

To be impressed by Barbara would still be an understatement. “Huh, so you’re basically a Ravenclaw.”

The redhead felt compelled to laugh. “Yep, you’re damn right. You?”

Ellie showed her a ‘ _ bitch, please’  _ look, it was weird how well they clicked after just meeting her, it felt like they had known each other for years. “Sweetheart, we’d already be multitasking with me doing your English homework while you did math.”

Barbara giggled. Ellie grinned wryly. “I can already tell we’re going to be best friends, Babs.”

Barbara tilted her head to the side and teased with a serious undertone, “But of course we are, hon.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, sweet Babs. This girl made me feel all fluffy in the heart.
> 
> Find me on tumblr (@love-dria). Until next time.


	7. Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damage control and a small moment between Bruce and Ellie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter was really fun to write but until then ...

**_Chapter Seven_ **

**_Hopeless_ **

_ Boy, you make it look so easy _

_ Promise that I'm gonna call you back in five _

_ Sorry baby girl, but I can't tonight, oh _

_ Boy, you make it look so simple, mm _

_ Yeah, I've known that girl for like my whole life _

_ Back in my hotel and I'm alone inside, oh _

 

_ 'Cause you know the truth hurts _

_ But secrets kill _

_ Can't help thinkin' that I love it still _

_ Still here, there must be something real _

_ 'Cause you know the good die young _

_ But so did this _

_ And so it must be better than I think it is _

_ Gimme those eyes, it's easy to forgive _

**_-Hopeless by Halsey-_ **

* * *

Ellie realized that this day proved to be harder than she first imagined when she woke up this morning. First the coffee maker was broken, then the network seemed to have crashed and to top it all off, Bruce needed her for a personal task because of company-internal intelligence getting out.

Ellie’s suspicion was that Orville had a fail safe, seriously if it wasn’t bad enough that this man had been stealing from his colleagues and appeared now like a neurotic smartass.

Bruce, her, and the press spokesperson have been doing damage control since then and the time showed her it was already 6.

Bruce rubbed his eyes. “If you want, Ellie, you can go.” His tired eyes displayed his need to be rather already at home and probably sleep through for 3 days.

“No.” She shook vehemently her head. “I’ll go when this is done.” Or more like when this leech was dried out and no longer endangering the integrity of this firm. “I should have noticed this. It was too easy. I managed to find the fail safe and made sure that no more intel would be sent to any tabloid throughout Gotham.”

Bruce was now standing behind, overlooking her progress, she gave him an A for effort in spite of the tech gibberish flying over the screen. She could feel his supporting hand on her shoulder, Ellie still felt humiliated though his empathetic care only slightly made her feel better. She should have seen the fail safe coming though.

Bruce’s PR man hung up the phone with a tired sigh and turned to Bruce. “You will do an official statement to the press tomorrow morning regarding the situation.”

Bruce though chose a different approach. “No, I was thinking more of an exclusive interview.”

“Bruce,” Slater rubbed the bridge of his nose, annoyed already with how the day was progressing.

“The Daily Planet, Slater. This is not up for debate. You work for me, my company. I want you to get me the Metropolis paper for this. I own them by 50%, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Ellie crossed her arms in front of her chest, knowing he was right, Slater just had to give his approval.

“Fine. We could get Lane maybe. Injustice and conspiracies seem like her th-”

“No,” Bruce shook his head, disagreeing vehemently. “I want Kent.”

“Are you kidding me? That boy scout?! That kid is … you know what? Let the little Kansas boy do his nerdy action. If he screws up, I will have Perry by the balls.”

“What about Orville,” Ellie threw in, deciding to get them back on track and fearing that her doubts would become a reality.

Mr. Slater shook his head dismissively. “At the moment the future of this company is our focus. We can only collect what we have so far on him. Not to mention while this virus was uploaded, any footage had been erased. We only have suspicions. Anyone could have logged in with his key card.”

Ellie frowned with anger darkening her features. “But that’s bullshit.” Slater merely raised in surprise his eyebrows.

Bruce shrugged unashamedly and cleared his throat. “Ellie is new but very dedicated.”

Ellie sent him a dark stare. “Don't undermine me. That may be true but this is crazy! Who’s to say this guy won’t do it again?”

Slater sent her a bland look. “We don’t. Because it will no longer be our problem.”

Ellie’s stare moved in turns to the both men standing in the room. “I could freeze his accounts. Delete all pages online. I just can’t stand this even happening.”

Slater snorted. “Are you sure you don’t belong in Metropolis?”

Her head and Bruce’s swiveled to him in an instant, a dark frown still covering her face as she pointed a threatening finger in his direction. “Don’t you dare,” her voice was small but didn’t fail to deliver its meaning, “compare me to these goody two-shoes.”

“Fine,” Slater replied with his indifferent mask still on. His stare went to Bruce. “Don’t forget, Bruce, tomorrow 10 o’clock. Don’t be late again.” And with these words, Slater went away.

 

"I apologize for my words just now. It's just ... Slater, you know?"

She waved it away in a nonverbal gesture, already over it. Ellie sighed with disappointment. “Sorry, looks like I didn’t lose my idealism as I first thought.” She sent Bruce an apologetic/sad gaze, taking notice of his weary eyes and smile he tried to put up for her.

He waved a dismissive hand. “No, it’s okay. Gotham needs a few idealists who are still left.”

Ellie had to smile at his encouraging words.

“You hungry? I can call in take out. It looks like we’ll be here for a while.” Bruce was now leaning against his desk while pushing up the sleeves of his shirt, getting ready to get comfortable.

“Are you sure?” Ellie sent him an unsure look, knowing he needed some well-earned rest. “I don’t want to keep you here longer than necessary. You could have gotten home an hour ago.”

“Not to worry,” Bruce said, already picking up the receiver of his phone. “My treat.”

Ellie rolled her eyes at his benevolence. “You’re granting me a lot of treats. I should be paying this time.”

Bruce raised a challenging eyebrow. “I’m your boss. I sign your paycheck.” He shrugged. “It wouldn’t really make a difference.”

“Let’s split,” Ellie offered, not liking the idea that Bruce already spent money on her twice so far.

Bruce rolled his eyes, not caring. “Fine. How about Chinese?”

Ellie involuntarily smiled. “It's like you read my mind.”

* * *

Ellie was glad for the reprieve, it gave her the chance to take her mind off things and instead indulge in her noodles and veggies with her chopsticks. She then took notice of something.

“I don’t know many people who can eat with chopsticks,” she said, pointing with hers to the accessories in his fingers.

“Ditto.” Bruce chuckled and elaborated. “Used to travel to places like Japan and Tibet, and taught myself some things along the way.”

“Sounds fascinating,” Ellie admitted wistfully.

Her words prompted him to gaze at her with curious eyes. “Where would you want to go?”

“Florence - because of their architecture, Athens - I’m a great fan of Greek Mythology and India - but during the Holi festival.”

“Sounds great.” A rare smile was featuring his lips, the kind of smile that showed the laughter lines around his eyes.

Ellie displayed a close-mouthed one, fearing for a food mishap and not wanting to appear like a clumsy klutz. She knew it, didn’t mean she wanted everyone else to know.

“Don’t you wish sometimes you could just … drop everything? Leave everything behind. I mean, who would Bruce Wayne be?” She was hoping she didn’t cross a line by asking such a personal question.

Bruce snorted and replied teasingly, “Still funding charities and throwing parties?”

Ellie smiled wryly. “I’m serious.”

“Me too.” At her insistent gaze, Bruce continued, “Well, partly. Probably still trying to make Gotham a better and safer place. It’s all I ever wanted for my city. I doubt that will change anytime soon.”

“Even as one of the ordinary people you, Mr. Wayne, still managed to be one of the extraordinary ones.” Ellie chuckled, amazed by him and believing in him as a decent human being. In the end she was glad he turned out to be one of the good guys, working with men like Lex Luthor and Maxwell Lord kind of disillusioned her.

“I thought I told you to call me ‘ _ Bruce’ _ ,” he said, giving her an adoring and charming gaze.

“I doubt with me now working for you, it’d be appropriate to call my boss by his first name.” The teasing remark left her lips before she could stop it.

“Fine. How about a compromise then, like with the split dinner? You can call me ‘ _ Mr. Wayne’ _ ”, he rolled his eyes to let her know of his displeasure, “when we’re not alone and when we’re together, just the two us, you may call me by my given name.”

Ellie raised an interested brow. “You always bargain like this,... Bruce?”

Bruce shrugged nonchalantly. “I tend to always get what I want.”

She sent him a sidelong glance, smiling serenely. “I noticed.”

When she could feel a vibrating sound coming from Bruce’s pants pocket, Ellie cleared her throat, hoping it would clear the fog in her mind.

“I’m sorry,” he said with disappointment lacing his voice. A look at his screen made him instantly put it to his ear with furrowed eyebrows. “I have to take this one,” Bruce explained in her direction, she merely waved her hand noncommittally. She turned back to the remains of their food while Bruce spoke into his phone, “Alfred? What’s the matter?”

Whatever the caller said to him had Bruce agitated, judging by the clenched jaw and the tightening around his mouth.

“I see. Yes, I’ll be there. See you then, Alfred.” He hung up and stood up from his sitting position, turning to her in apology. “I have to cut this short. There has been an emergency and I need to leave right now. Let me accompany you downstairs.”

“Oh, okay.” With that both gathered the trash, throwing it away in the process, before grabbing their things.

In the elevator Bruce turned to Ellie and asked her hesitatingly, “I was wondering, would you like to be present during that interview?”

Perplexed by his offer, Ellie inquired to make sure she had heard him right, “Are you sure? I don’t think it’s really necessary for me to be there as well.”

Bruce chose to explain his train of thought, “I am. I think it’d be the right decision for me to present the new Head of the IT department, showing the people of Gotham that not everyone is corrupt or a thief.” He was looking at her in a patient, yet decisive way, and she knew with her present this could shine a new light to Wayne Enterprises and Ellie had to admit, she was kind of curious what Bruce had to say.

“Okay, sounds like a good idea.” Ellie nodded approvingly and noticed his lopsided smirk before the elevator dinged their arrival.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took inspiration for Slater through Christian Slater's character on the small show called "Archer" lol
> 
> Until next time.
> 
> Find me on tumblr (@love-dria)


	8. Walls Could Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie meets Clark Kent. Some revelations are being made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is going to be a lot of fun. 
> 
> No beta. Enjoy.

**_Chapter Eight_ **

**_Walls Could Talk_ **

_ And we both hope there's something _

_ But we bo-both keep fronting _

_ And it's a closed discussion _

_ And I'm thinking "damn, if these walls could talk" _

 

_ Well, they'd be like _

_ "Shit is crazy right?" _

_ I ain't your baby no more _

**_-Walls Could Talk by Halsey-_ **

* * *

Ellie was leaning with her arms crossed against one of the large windows, looking outside and incessantly tapping with her boot on the ground.

“Don’t be nervous. Clark will come. He is very reliable,” Bruce calmed her without looking up, while nonchalantly reading through some papers and doing some corrections with his pen in the process.

“I’m not nervous,” she said defensively, but corrected herself soon after. “Okay, maybe I am a little nervous. I just hope he really is a guy to whom the truth and investigative journalism are the most important values.”

Her confession made him look at her, his comforting gaze going through every bone in her body. Ellie felt instantly warm all over and turned her head away, breaking their connection.

The knocking against Bruce’s office doors made her sigh in relief. Atticus came inside with a dark-haired man with glasses after hearing his boss’s confirmation to come inside and left right after.

Bruce dropped his pen and went around his desk, smiling as he stepped towards the reporter like they were best friends. “Clark,” he called out mirthfully. “About time.” With this greeting both hugged wholeheartedly.

Clark’s wide grin couldn’t conceal their deep friendship for each other. “Bruce, still thinking of yourself to be hilarious. You’re one to talk.”

They separated themselves, giving each other room to assess the other one. Bruce didn’t let the teasing remark dissuade him. “I’m just saying, I’d have thought you’d be here faster. I was actually on time, you even took me by surprise.”

Clark rolled his eyes good-humoredly, already used to his friend’s antics. He then took notice of her standing in the room. “I’m sorry, Clark Kent. Daily Planet.”

With their hands shaking, Ellie introduced herself. “It’s okay. Ellie Rhodes. IT girl.”

Bruce sent her a disapproving stare, probably for just calling herself an IT girl. 

“I mean, new Head of IT,” she corrected herself.

Clark chuckled, dropping his hand. Ellie’s curiosity was piqued. “So, you two must be pretty close,” she said, pointing to their bodies.

Clark hesitated before answering, “Yes, Bruce, and I met a year ago, or so. I think it was during this gala Lex Luthor hosted in Metropolis.”

Bruce nodded, he seemed taller than Clark with his head moving slightly above his friend’s. “We threw some insults, some fists,” Ellie raised her eyebrows in surprise, not really expecting this. “I won. Now, we’re best friends.”

“Wow,” Ellie exclaimed out loud.

Clark snorted, throwing him a look as a reminder. “I sort of let you win, Bruce.”

Bruce sent him a taunting grin and crossed his arms in defiance. “Oh really, I seem to recall someone lying on the ground crying out for his mother.”

Clark raised a challenging eyebrow. “Really? You want to get in on this now?!”

“No, of course. Take a seat.” Bruce led him to an armchair while she and Bruce took their seat on the couch right opposite from Clark.

Bruce retorted to his buddy, “It was a tie,” while Clark said quietly in return, “I won.”

Ellie had to smile at the behavior of these two. “Let’s just do what we came here for, okay?” She wasn’t really expecting to be the mediator in this interview. Both only nodded mutely, slightly admonished.

Clark cleared his throat, ready to begin the interview as he was starting to record the audio on his phone. “So, Bruce, there have been some rumors regarding the leak in Wayne Enterprises, do you know who was the person responsible and their intentions?”

Bruce seemed put together in his light gray suit as he folded his fingers in his lap while he straightened his back to prepare himself mentally. “The man responsible was my former employee, Robert Orville, who used to operate as the leader in the IT division. He was the one who stole the pension contributions of my staff while leaking company intel to the newspapers.”

Ellie felt sympathetic for Bruce, feeling like she could offer her support as best as she could, as she put her hand next to him on the couch. She was hoping he was understanding the notion, judging by the twitching in his hands he did.

Bruce let out a drawn out sigh. “In the end as chief executive there is a certain responsibility, not only with the company but also when it comes to your employees. I feel responsible that I didn’t see it.”

“Is the police investigating on this matter,” Clark asked with his inquiring eye not letting up.

Bruce pulled in a deep breath. “There wasn’t any hard evidence found. At the moment we’re on our own.”

Clark seemed to debate with himself as he stared at the both of them sympathetically.

Bruce continued, “And at the moment all we can do is move forward.” He sent her a meaningful sidelong glance, making her smile wryly at his ability to just move past things that were clearly bugging him.

Clark caught his drift, his eyes not seeming to miss a thing. “So, I take it you found someone else who could fill in the shoes of Head of IT?” He was probably trying to assess her with the way his sight was drilling into her features.

“Yes, absolutely.” Bruce turned in his seat towards her. “I made the acquaintance of Miss Rhodes for about a week, but…” His usage of her last name made them both smirk at each other, nearly forgetting the other listening party in the room. “she has proven to be immensely significant to Wayne Enterprises, especially when it was her who found the holes in our tech security in the first place.”

Clark turned his body directly towards her, Ellie was starting to get anxious at the thought of having to talk. She knew Clark was just one person, but the thought that her words would be read by millions of readers, awaiting their judgment terrified her.

The dark-haired reporter was sending her an encouraging smile, slightly easing her discomfort. “So, Ellie…” At her approving smile, Clark continued, “tell me about yourself and why you chose this position.”

Ellie exhaled a long breath. “I am from here and got a tech security company. I’m glad that Lucius Fox, Wayne Enterprises’ business manager contacted my firm, needing my assistance. Later on, Mr. Wayne here,” her sidelong glance met his mischievous eyes, getting a warm feeling spreading in her stomach. “decided to acquire my tech skills. To be honest, I think he only needed me to work at Wayne Enterprises so rivalry corporations like LuthorCorp or Kord Industries wouldn’t lure me away.”

Her teasing statement erupted the office into laughter. “When in truth I felt enticed to work here because I could learn from Lucius Fox.”

Bruce snorted derisively. Ellie continued as if she didn’t hear a thing, “I used to work at multi corporations like LuthorCorp and Lord Technologies, so I wasn’t really keen in doing it again at another.” Her admission made Bruce look up at her, as if she were surprising him by confessing she had been working at such affiliated groups before.

She went on, “I know what it’s like to operate as a woman in the tech world, how everyone doubts your abilities when I have been working for more than 5 years in this business. In the end, I saw the changes I could accomplish here and this past time working in this company reminded me of how much I could accomplish here long-term.”

Ellie must have rendered both guys speechless with the way they were staring at her in unashamed awe. She shrugged, indicating she was finished, already having forgotten she had been speaking public, so to speak.

Bruce smiled proudly, not daring to hide his deep admiration for her. Clark cleared his throat. “Well, I guess I got everything I wanted. That was great.” Ellie smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

The journalist was packing his things into his messenger bag, momentarily turning his body away. Ellie noticed Bruce turn his head to her ear, whispering, “So glad Lex didn’t get to keep you in the end.”

Ellie giggled, looking at him with happiness making her eyes glint. “Me too.” Before she could stop herself, Ellie was gazing at his lips and gazing into his eyes. She felt herself blush when she saw Bruce do the same.

The clearing of a throat prompted both to look away.

“I was thinking, if you guys got the time, we could have drinks at the cafe around the corner,” Clark offered. To her, Clark Kent appeared like a grown up boy scout, with his innocent face and dorky glasses. Now Ellie understood what Slater meant when he described the reporter as a boy scout.

At both of their nods and smiles, the three of them made their way to the Rose Cafe.

* * *

This Clark guy was turning out to be a serious blast. True, at times it looked like something was pulling him down, but all in all he was really funny. And he seemed to lure out the playful side of Bruce.

They were all sitting together in a booth, with Clark sitting in front of them while she and Bruce were next to each other. Ellie was having a strawberry milkshake, Clark chose to try out the vanilla brand and Bruce was enjoying his coffee.

“I’m telling you, this guy,” he was pointing to Bruce as he went a trip down memory lane, “went into this stranger’s face, telling him to treat everyone with respect. Even homeless people, then Bruce gave the person lying on the ground some money, advising to go to the shelter Wayne Foundation was funding in Gotham.”

Ellie was stirring her drink with the long straw, sending Bruce a gaze filled with respect. “Well, not many here in this town who would do something like that,” she confessed, knowing how tough the streets of Gotham could get.

Hearing the word “Wayne” coming from the TV news, made Ellie’s eyes look up in question, seeing some police man in a long coat with the name Commissioner James Gordon underneath. She tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows, feeling something important coming on.  _ So this was Barbara’s uncle. _

“With the help of Bruce Wayne the GCPD had managed to collect incriminating evidence against Robert Orville who is now facing charges against cyber larceny, infringement, and insider trading. From here on out an arrest warrant is issued to…”

With accusation in her eyes, Ellie turned to her left to Bruce who had been looking at her patiently as soon as the news came on, “You knew? All this time? Since when?”

“Gordon and I have been secretly working together since it was known it had been him,” he said monotonously, gazing at her expectantly and he wasn’t disappointed by her reaction.

“You didn’t tell me? Even when I was beating myself up about him since yesterday and even today? Did you even know that I was  _ this  _ close to digging up any dirt about him and sending it to the police?” Ellie could feel the indignant anger coursing through her veins. She was fearing she was blowing things out of proportion but honesty was the most important thing to her when it came to her friends, and she was counting Bruce as some sort of friend. And it only felt like he didn’t trust her enough to confide this to her.

Bruce was looking at her in regret, as if he were expecting her to forget it as soon as it happened. “I told you, Ellie, this was supposed to stay secret and I couldn’t tell anyone.”

Feeling like she needed to cool her head, and she couldn’t do that in a public place. “I need some air.” Ellie put some money on the table and trying to squeeze out of the booth with Bruce blocking the exit by just sitting on the edge. “Sorry, Clark. It was nice meeting you,” she told him in goodbye, seeing him wave sympathetically and pressing his lips together in apology.

Without further thinking about it, Ellie put her hand on Bruce’s shoulder as leverage while moving her legs over his, trying also to be careful with her skirt. She felt Bruce’s hand on hers before she heard him mutter, “I didn’t want to burden you with this, Ellie…”

Ellie didn’t dare look at him, knowing she could get weak when gazing at his brown eyes. “I need to get back to work,” she said, pulling her hand away before leaving through the door.

* * *

_ Bruce POV _

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. God, he wanted to ease her into it, prepare her. He could tell that she was beating herself up over it, fearing like she couldn’t do something about it and knowing how relentless this city could get. Despite what Bruce said, he wanted to tell her … he just couldn’t.

Maybe he also thought Ellie wouldn’t take it like she did just now. He shook his head and was shaken out of his thoughts by Clark’s voice, “So … you two seem close.”

Bruce sighed heavily. “I just met her, Clark,” he reminded him and himself, knowing how often his thoughts wandered to the short brunette and that they shouldn’t.

“I’m just saying, you seem pretty shaken and worrying about this ordeal. This is not like you,” Clark said, casting Bruce an observant and caring glance.

Bruce licked his lips in thought. “I’m fine, Clark. I can handle this.”

“There you go again, already taking the burden of everyone else. I bet Ellie was just hurt, thinking you couldn’t trust her.” Even at a time like this Clark Kent proved to be an annoying Jiminy Cricket. In his head he was rolling his eyes at his friend’s persistence to be the voice of reason.

Bruce sent him a dark glare. “God, I wish Doomsday did kill you that night.”

Clark’s gaze turned reproachful. “Now, don’t say things you don’t mean, Bruce.”

“I mean it,” Bruce growled.

“Fine. Be the moody Bat.” Clark rolled his eyes good-naturedly, having half-expected how their conversation would go. Hoping to distract him, Clark chose a different topic. “So, how far are we with the League?”

Bruce was slurping from his cup. “Diana and I have managed to locate both Cyborg and the Flash, but Aquaman,” he was cracking his neck, like the mere thought of the Atlantean was giving him shoulder pains, “he is proving to be more difficult to find than I first anticipated.”

“You want me to x-ray the ocean,” Clark asked, trying to come up with ways to accelerate the search.

Bruce sent him an unimpressed look. “Yes, that sounds like fun. Besides, I need his location on land, not where he likes to swim with the fish.”

Clark sighed. “Maybe you’re right. Any other candidates that could make the cut?”

Bruce seemed hesitant, debating with himself whether to mention the following potential superheroes. “Well, there’s Shazam, basically a kid who turns into a grownup and can throw lightning bolts, fly, and other things. Then, there’s Green Lantern,” he panted a heavy breath, trying to come up with useful things to say about him, “that guy just has an alien ring that does stuff for him and functions as a flashlight.” Bruce shrugged, not really sold on this Hal character.

Clark just raised his eyebrows in confusion, but waited patiently for the rest of the Justice League candidates.

“There’s Green Arrow from Star City. Their very own Robin Hood who’s just missing the goatee.”

Clark narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms thoughtfully. “You got something against archery, or is it the color green that repulses you?

Bruce clenched his jaw, though both arguments pretty valid in not taking in rich boy Oliver Queen. “No, just don’t like Ollie very much.”

“As in Oliver Queen?” At his nod, Clark went on with his perusal, “Or maybe you just don’t want another billionaire on your team, knowing he could be some real competition for you.”

“Oh please, I’m Batman. The guy doesn’t stand a chance, not to mention he’s broke and no longer even a billionaire,” he reminded Clark, feeling insulted that he could even suggest such a thing.

Clark rolled his eyes defiantly, they were getting sidetracked. “Whatever. And who else?”

Bruce pulled in calming breaths, ignoring the previous comments. “Well, not really sold on Martian Manhunter yet, who is a green alien who can read minds and such.”

Clark sighed wearily. “When are you ever going to let this go, Bruce? I told you I was sorry for destroying your company. And I managed to get Zod in the process.”

Bruce tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. “Oh, what a relief that you killed the bad guy while I had to pay for all the property damages.” He could feel the anger rise again at his friend’s carelessness.

“You’re rich,” Clark pointed out, his eyes widening at what he heard.

Bruce leaned back with a huff. “So, I’m what? The guy who has to pay every time you choose to demolish another city?”

Clark opened his mouth in shock. “I thought we were friends,” he pointed out, slightly offended at Bruce’s hard words.

Merely rolling his eyes and glowering, Bruce said, “I hate you.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'll be honest, this scene was a lot of fun to write because Clark just manages to light up the moody Bat. Kudos to those who can detect the quotes I borrowed from HISHE.


	9. Young God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Die Hard in an elevator ... with some guest stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after posting all my tumblr stuff here I found the will to actually post this old baby. I'm so sorry, guys.

****_He says, "Oh, baby girl, you know we're gonna be legends_

_I'm the king and you're the queen and we will stumble through heaven_

_If there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes_

_I know you wanna go to heaven but you're human tonight."_

_And I've been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool_

_For a while now, drowning my thoughts out with the sounds_

 

_But do you feel like a young god?_

_You know the two of us are just young gods_

_And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath_

_And they're running, running, running_

**_-Young God by Halsey-_ **

* * *

Ever since yesterday and today Ellie felt so confused, like the thoughts in her brain were in disarray. Bruce’s confession at the cafe left her slightly hurt and befuddled, mostly because she had no idea why she was sensitive about it in the first place and when Bruce barely knew her to even confide in her.

She groaned, leaning her head against the palm of her hand. Ellie would have to talk to Bruce about it. _God, how she hated the direct confrontation!_

The brunette was currently located in the server problem, finally managing to solve the network problem which seemed to have bothered the company for about a day. She was just closing the transparent door to the main server when the TV above her head went to life, displaying a feed with a giggling person on it.

“Good morning, workers of Wayne Enterprises. Isn’t it a beautiful day to wreak havoc, hold people hostage and kill people for fun?”

Ellie rolled her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Groaning, she muttered, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Not again. It was seriously getting ridiculous how not a day went by where these clowned freaks and deranged lunatics decided to create a living hell for the people of Gotham.

Harley giggled, twisting the ends of her ponytails. “Just kidding. No one’s dead … yet. Not unless the Batman wants to pay a little visit to little ol’ me. Please, Batsy, it’s no fun without you. And don’t worry, I didn’t bring the Joker - unless you want me to.” She sent a saucy wink into the camera, prompting her to grumble in annoyance.

Ellie, not interested in hearing anymore, quietly opened the server room door before carefully looking left and right the corridor. Despite her getting used to these kinds of dangers, Ellie still took it seriously. Silently shutting the door behind her and tucking her tablet under her arm, she wandered to the empty reception desk.

The line was dead. It shouldn’t surprise her - at least something these bad guys could do right.

Not knowing the police’s reaction time, she tried contacting the GCPD website through the company’s network. She was just hoping they’d actually pick up on their emergency. Well, it looked like the goons didn’t think of cutting their network. Their loss was her gain.

After hacking into the live feed of the security cameras, she found hired thugs covering the exits while she was mostly worried about the hostages in the conference room being guarded by Harley and her men. Her anxiety intensified when she saw Lucius among them, though so far she hadn’t managed to find Bruce. If he were lucky he hadn’t gotten out before them.

She had just gotten one foot in front of the other, not yet knowing where to go now when a strong hand covered her mouth. Ellie yelped against it before she was pulled against a hard-muscled body.

“Shh,” a voice murmured, “it’s me, Ellie. Stay calm.”

Her body visibly sighed in relief, sagging against his in comfort. When his hand loosened, she turned around, looking at him in search of any wounds. “Oh my God,” she whispered quietly, “why - I mean, how did you get out?” With widened eyes Ellie noticed how Bruce was assessing her as if he were looking for injuries, and seemed to let out a breath of relief, yet still staying on high alert.

Bruce Wayne must have had a few encounters with Gotham’s evildoers.

She could feel his warm palms as he was enveloping her arms to get her attention. “Lucius kept me hidden in some room to protect me. It looks like he didn’t realize how stubborn I really was.” A smile formed on her face, she should have realized Bruce wouldn’t just abandon his work family.

“We need to find a way to contact the police,” he muttered to himself, looking around for a solution.

“Already did.” Bruce’s head whipped around to her. “It just depends how fast they check their emails.” At his arching eyebrow, indicating his disbelief, Ellie continued with shrugging shoulders, “They didn’t cut off the internet connection.”

Bruce frowned, pressing his lips together in disapproval. “Now, that’s just sloppy.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “I know. Here,” she pulled out her tablet, showing him the CCTV to keep him in the loop and hoping he could tell them what to do next. “Please don’t ask how I got this live footage.”

Bruce chuckled, pride displayed on his features. “I don’t want to know.”

“What do we do now?” She asked, waiting as he surveyed each vantage point.

“This way,” Bruce declared, going to the direction of the elevators.

“Now, what do we have here?” A crazed voice said behind them, stopping them in their tracks as they were a few feet in distance to the elevator button. Ellie chanced a worried glance in Bruce’s direction who implied with his hand to stay calm. She took a calming breath and turned around in unison with him.

A man with a clown mask was threateningly waving a machine gun in his hands, circling around them while pointing it at them. “Harls is going to be so happy when she sees you,” he said merrily, hinting at Bruce being their guest of honor. “The Bat still hasn’t shown up, maybe he doesn’t really care about you, guys. We even shut on the Bat signal, such a waste of time.”

Ellie tilted her head in confusion. “In broad daylight?”

She could hear Bruce chuckle next to her, envisioning the Bat signal shining into the sky in the middle of the day. She shouldn’t be surprised by these guys’ logic.

Loony bin grew agitated as he waved the gun around in his state. “Well, whatever. We’ll get back to the others and I don’t care-”

Before Ellie could blink, Bruce punched the guy in the throat and the stomach before knocking him unconscious against the wall.

Her eyes were ripped open in shock at how fast he had moved, knowing she could learn a few self-defense moves from him himself. “What the hell, Bruce?”

“We need to stow him away,” he grumbled, already taking him by his upper arms and pulling him backwards to a storage closet.

“Okay, wait. Wait!” Damn that guy was fast. Ellie caught up with Bruce and took Harley’s wacko by his legs, noticing Bruce’s appreciation for her need to help in the process.

As soon as they got back to the elevators, waiting for it to arrive, Ellie felt anxious of seeing another clown again. “So, what’s the plan?”

Bruce sent her a sarcastic look. “We take the elevator,” he replied, his statement perfectly aligned with the dinging sound, almost timed. She rolled her eyes at Bruce making a joke, when they both stepped into the steeled escalator. “You know what I mean.”

“What matters right now is getting to safety.” And with these words he promptly pushed the ‘ _Stop’_ button, rumbling the elevator to a standstill and coating them in a red hue. Ellie, feeling a premonition coming on looked up to check something, stepped back, leaning back against metal bar pushing against her back.

“Oh no, don’t even think about.” She vehemently shook her head, observing how Bruce turned around in surprise.

“You don’t know what I want to do,” he stated, tilting his head with narrowed eyes.

Widening her eyes, Ellie waved her arms around and feeling like she was losing her mind already. “Hell no, I watched Die Hard! Even the fifth part. And trust me, I don’t like this idea of you climbing out of elevators.” A terrible thought went across her mind, prompting her to cover her mouth in foreboding. “Please no. Please don’t say you want _us_ climbing out.”

Bruce chuckled, shaking his head while putting his hands on his hips. He gazed intently at her as he was walking past her into the middle of the closed space. “I won’t drop you.”

Ellie closed her eyes, already feeling a pit in her stomach. “This isn’t funny, Bruce.” She looked up with anticipation, letting Bruce pull off the cover of the ceiling and hoisting himself up with a flourish.

His head was leaning against the opening as he offered her his stretched out hand. “Come on, take my hand. I’ll pull you up.”

Ellie swallowed, unsure. “You know I’m not really athletic, so … you don’t have to wonder-”

Bruce sent her an indulging gaze, interrupting her self-conscious rant. “Ellie,” he silenced her by just calling her by her name. “Trust me.”

Two words with such immense meaning. She breathed in a few gulps, knowing she did trust him, yet feeling like they had to talk about yesterday - in spite of knowing this was the most inopportune situation to think about actual confrontation.

Ellie let out the air holding in her lungs and grabbed his hand in a tight grip. She could only make a whooshing sound in surprise when Bruce was able to pull her up in one fluid movement. She held onto his upper arms, noticing the clenching muscles striking out, kneeling before him. “Whoa, of course you work out as well,” she muttered to herself. With blushing cheeks, she took notice of Bruce smirking slightly before standing up with shaking legs.

“After you,” she said to Bruce with shaky exhales, moving her hand for him to lead the way.

He stood up from his crouching position, looking around as the attached lights down the elevator shaft illuminated its surroundings dimly enough to see through. Ellie didn’t dare look down, holding on to the rope holding up the escalator while Bruce assessed the tension cable in front of them.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when he took off his suit jacket in measured movements, unsure of his intentions. While he covered up his fists with the soft material, Ellie dared to come a little closer to him. Her gaze alternated between him, as he stayed focused on the task only looking ahead, and the tension cable.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Bruce,” Ellie asserted, feeling her heart race anew.

Bruce inhaled a few measured breaths, turning his head towards her. “I need you to do something for me.” He tightened the fabric, keeping his hands at a loose distance from each other. “I want you to climb on my back so we both can jump to the other rope.”

Her stare went again to the tether before making sure she had heard him right. “You want me to piggyback on you?”

“The only way we can reach this if we do it together, Ellie. And no offense, but I don’t want to take the chance of you dropping down the elevator shaft of Wayne Enterprises. So, yes, I want you to jump on my back - this way it’s safer.”

She nodded in agreement after a moment. “Okay, but could you … you know, get on your knees? I have short legs, and you’re like gargantuan, so…” Ellie smiled wryly before her wish was granted by his shaking shoulders and was heaved in the air. With her legs wrapped around his waist in a tight grip and her arms around his shoulders, mindful of the tablet in her hands.

“Ready,” Bruce asked, making sure she was alright. “Hold on tight.”

She exhaled, pausing. “Okay, I’m ready,” she declared, her breath ghosting against Bruce’s neck as she closed her eyes.

With a wide and perfect jump Bruce held onto the rope, the motion shaking them both. Ellie was afraid she was holding on too tight, cutting off his air supply in the process and if so he didn’t state any discomfort. A sigh left Ellie’s lips in relief. “Could have been worse. But if you seriously drop me now, I will haunt your ass.”

His movements paused. “It would be more likely for me to drop, killing both of us.”

His words prompted her legs to tighten around his waist, making him smirk. “Okay, fair enough. No dropping it is.”

With even measured breaths Bruce continued climbing down, as Ellie thought it best to choose now for a fitting moment to have a talk. “So, uh…” To be honest the rocking motion happening was actually good in soothing her nerves, liking the distraction.

“I wanted to talk about yesterday.”

His body stilled again before continuing its path downwards. “You want to talk about this _now_?”

“Yes, I thought … now would be perfect to indulge in important conversations.” The teasing tone in her voice stopped as she grew serious. “Look, I guess I was just hurt and maybe a little sensitive regarding the fact of the secrecy-”

“Ellie,” Bruce started, the regret in his voice clear as day.

“No, just let me get this out.” His head nodded in agreement, seemingly enraptured by her position. “I get it.” Ellie shrugged, her eye set on the tablet, knowing she couldn’t forgive herself if she dropped it. She exhaled. “I mean, I realized that you barely know me to put me in your trusted circle. Maybe I just want you to know that you _can_ trust me, with time I hope. All I ask is for some honesty, Bruce, that’s all.”

Bruce let out the breath he had been holding, his arm tensing slightly. Her worry for him erupted again. “Everything alright? I’m not getting too heavy, am I?”

Bruce snorted in laughter. “It’s fine. Now let _me_ say what I have to say. I value you. I can understand your hurt feelings, I just …” he licked his lips, trying to find the right words, “I have to think of Wayne Enterprises first, no matter how much I want to confide in you. And this was something _I_ had to do on my own.”

Ellie exhaled, turning slightly away. “You don’t have to do everything on your own, Bruce,” she whispered, hoping he’d hear her.

Closing his eyes, he admitted, “It has to be me.”

* * *

After their draining confessions, Bruce managed to smuggle them through a small shaft as they were looking for the stockroom in the building that wasn’t monitored by the thugs. They reached a lid which granted the view to their destination, with Ellie in front of him. Her nimble fingers carefully removed the cover as Bruce gave her his hand, for her to drop with some difficulty regarding the right spaces to the ground.

Ellie was mildly distracted looking around the inventory of toner and office supplies when she heard the movement of a metallic item. “Bruce, what the hell are you doing?”

She was so wrapped up in her surroundings that she didn’t notice Bruce already putting the lid back without climbing down at all. Was he … leaving her?

“I’m sorry, Ellie, but … I just wanted you safe.”

“What are you doing? I don’t care about being safe. I thought we were in this together,” she exclaimed in confusion. All along she was under the assumption he would stay with her but … she should have known better. Bruce seemed to be more interested in the well-being of others first.

“We are. Shut the door, don’t let anyone in but me. I need to make sure the others are secure as well, so that the police can free the hostages.” His words made her send him a worried gaze.

“Stay safe, Bruce,” Ellie said, feeling like the meaning was so much deeper.

Bruce stilled, carefully assessing her features, “You too,” he replied, before ultimately turning away.


	10. Not Afraid Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing if you know the Halsey song, you'll know what's about to go down. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT. 
> 
> I kept thinking, come on, can I make these two lovebirds hook up now?!

********_ I am not afraid anymore _

_ Standing in the eye of the storm _

_ Ready to face this, dying to taste this, sick sweet warmth _

_ I am not afraid anymore _

_ I want what you got in store _

_ I'm ready to feed now, get in your seat now _

 

_ And touch me like you never _

_ And push me like you never _

_ And touch me like you never _

_ 'Cause I am not afraid, I am not afraid anymore _

_ I am not ashamed anymore _

_ I want something so impure _

_ You better impress now, watching my dress now fall to the floor _

_ Crawling underneath my skin, sweet talk with a hint of sin _

_ Begging you to take me _

_ Devil underneath your grin, sweet thing, but she play to win, heaven gonna hate me _

**_-Not Afraid Anymore by Halsey-_ **

* * *

“ _ And now onto local news, yesterday a group of culprits under the leadership of Harley Quinn, known for her psychotic tendencies, attacked the employees of Wayne Enterprises. Their motive to draw out the Batman didn’t succeed, as the police managed to charge into the building and apprehend all suspects. There were no casualties to name.” _

The taste of coffee in the morning slightly awakened Ellie’s senses while yesterday’s news resonated near her office, as she worked on this week’s report regarding the technical events.

“ _ -Quinn is back in Arkham Asylum. And it looked like the Batman didn’t choose to come after all. The vigilante is more known for his nocturnal activities and is rarely seen during the day. In the end, the police seemed to have had the matter under control.” _

“Just another day in Gotham, huh?” A familiar voice said upon entering her office space, forcing her fingers to still above the keypad and her head to look up in humor.

“Looks like it,” Ellie agreed with Bruce who pointed to the seat next to her desk. “May I,” he asked out of courtesy, sitting down at her nod of approval.

Bruce folded his hands in his lap before leaning forward to create a more intimate setting.

“I’m fine.” Ellie shrugged, sending him a self-assured look. “After a while you get used to it, you know?”

Bruce smirked, probably seeing the truth to her statement. “Still not mad that I left you in the storage room?”

Ellie was unimpressed, in spite of the  _ please forgive me, I’m too adorable for people to be mad at me  _ look he was swarming her with. She playfully narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know, you need to make it up to me twice, Bruce.” Ellie tilted her head, her makeshift bun clearing her features and showing her an unhindered view.

“Then … how about dinner … tonight?” His nearly bashful tone of voice, rendered her speechless.

With raised eyebrows, Ellie debated the idea of eating with Bruce Wayne this evening, nibbling on her bottom lip in thought. “Okay, fine. Still splitting the check though.”

“Perfect,” Bruce started, standing up with furrowed eyebrows, “I mean, that’s great. I’ll pick you up. Tonight at 8. Text me your address.” And with that he turned his back to her, heading out and leaving her to stare with her head already filled with tonight’s dinner.

* * *

For the first time in her life Ellie didn’t erupt into a complete frenzy, grateful that she was prepared and ahead in her time schedule. As soon as she got home, she took a shower, ultimately soothing her nerves from this week’s events. Ellie still couldn’t believe the happenings starting from her meeting Bruce and nearly getting taken hostage by Harley Quinn herself, were all in the course of one week.

With her skin moisturized and already covered in a bit of makeup - just some foundation, mascara, and nude lipstick for a change - Ellie got ready in search of a dress and shoes. In the end nude shoes won out with a cute black lace backless dress, which showed a bit of her cleavage, yet her arms were covered in soft lace material.

A few minutes after 8 the bell rang, making Ellie smile, she had already gotten used to Bruce’s tendency to be late. Still earlier than usual though. She could bet her heels could be heard through the door before she opened it, displaying her cocktail dress.

With her head tilted, her hair wavy but swept to the side, Bruce’s suit caught her eye. Different than the one he used to wear for work, a dark yet classy attire with a black tie.

He smiled an enraptured grin as soon as he saw her get up, his teeth shining under the door lamp. “You look beautiful,” he breathed.

“This little thing?” Ellie laughed, giving him her arm in offering and relieved she brought her purse with her keys in it. “So glad I chose this one, who knew if you were aiming for a more casual look.”

Bruce chuckled, already gotten used to her sarcastic ways. Dick could be this way too, he thought. He opened the door for her to his Aston Martin, holding it opened. “I wouldn’t mind. We could have gone to Big Belly Burger.” He shrugged, really not seeming to care if he were seen at the fast food joint.

Ellie giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, finally taking a seat in the flashy sports car.

* * *

“So, you really don’t need reservations when you’re Bruce Wayne,” Ellie noticed as she sat down, with Bruce behind her pushing her chair forward.

“It has it perks,” he said with an ironic smile, taking the menu from the waiter.

Ellie chuckled, taking a look at the restaurant’s meals as long as the server was gone. “Oh my God, I’m really bad at choosing wine - anything you can recommend?”

Bruce briefly looked up. “Depends. What do you want to eat to it?”

Ellie hummed, seeing the things on her carte she always wanted to try out at this place. “Tough choice, but I’d say … the grilled salmon with rice and fried veggies.”

“The Pinot Noir would suffice then,” he recommended, summoning the waiter.

With a teasing eye roll Ellie replied, “And of course you’re a wine connoisseur as well.”

“Of course,” Bruce said with a smirk lighting up his features.

“Have you both decided what you want?”

Bruce being the gentleman sent her a look under his eyelashes, letting her name her chosen dinner meal first. “Yes, I’ll take the fried ravioli, baked salmon with a Pinot Noir,” Ellie said, sending Bruce a grateful glance.

“And I’ll have the creamy stuffed mushrooms, with shrimp and broccoli stir fry and a rosé wine,” he stated, letting him take their menus back.

“Right away, Mr. Wayne,” the server offered, before taking his leave.

The use of his surname made her more aware of her surroundings in the restaurant, how they were given a table in a little corner, their time together pretty much undisturbed by the other guests. Not to mention that they seemed to be located somewhere, which was normally reserved for special occasions, with half of the other tables empty.

The feeling, that this dinner almost felt like an intimate gathering, went through her body, prompting her suspicions.

Especially with the candles lit and flowers subtly decorating their table.

She fiddled with her napkin, trying to find the right words. “So, uh … Bruce, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he said, taking a sip from his glass of water.

Ellie nibbled on her bottom lip, noticing how his stare ventured to her mouth. Despite the lack of people who could hear her exclaim in surprise, Ellie still leaned slightly forward and spoke at a more moderate volume. “Uh, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to presume but … oh my God. Is this a date?!”

Bruce cleared his throat, slightly uncomfortable as he adjusted his, trying to relieve the tension around his neck. “I was trying to be subtle.”

“Trust me, you succeeded in that aspect.” Ellie snorted, not having expected their dinner to go this way.

Their moment was interrupted by the waiter choosing to serve them their appetizers. For a while the only sound to be heard was the cutlery scraping against the plates, covering them with a weird tension in the air.

“I guess … you just took me by surprise,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. “Not to mention after seeing me freak out like that in that elevator.”

Bruce’s gaze turned soft, shaking his head. “Despite you not wanting to reenact Die Hard with me in an elevator shaft…”

Both had to laugh at hard, remembering the hardships of that day.

“I still think you’re the most fantastic person I’ve ever met,” Bruce confessed, rendering her completely speechless for the second time that day.

Her emotions were ranging from confused, awed, and happy, as she turned her head away, scratching her neck while staring at him perplexed. “Then, I guess I have to be honest with you as well. My last relationship ended five months ago and I swore to myself I wouldn’t become like one of these women who couldn’t live without a man by her side. I guess I should mention though that I didn’t realize what a person he had become.”

She noticed him his Adam's apple bob as he fidgeted in his seat. “So, that’s what rejection feels like,” Bruce murmured.

With a strained smile Ellie tried to switch his focus on something else. “Isn’t it against the rules, not to mention highly unprofessional to have a relationship with your employee?”

Bruce snorted in laughter. “Very,” the dark timbre in his voice said, sending a warm tingle through her body. His sultry look making her rethink her doubts of why sleeping with her boss would be a very bad idea.

* * *

They were both sitting in Bruce’s car, still in front of the restaurant, taking their time in leaving. Somehow they had managed to swing back to neutral territory after the big confession.

It was still nice with his radio playing some music in the background. A buzz lingered there, and not just because of the alcohol they had consumed. It had gone dark already, just the lamp posts slightly lighting up their features.

“You know, in spite of this one moment, it was still a nice evening. Didn’t expect to have fun with you, to be honest.”

“Really?” With both their heads leaning against the headrest, Bruce turned his face towards her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Ellie hummed with a nod. “Yep, you always appeared so serious and growly on TV, it’s hard to reconcile these two guys.” And she couldn’t believe she was actually saying this out loud to her boss.

His voice turned quiet and enticing. “I look forward to you not always seeing my grumpy side then.”

_ Oh my God,are they flirting?  _ She giggled internally, and she didn’t even notice until now.

And as if possessed her eyes wandered to Bruce’s luscious lips which were just within reach, framed by a few days stubble. As far as she knew Bruce was nearly twice her age, yet the lines around his eyes or the slight gray in his hair made him somewhat more appealing.  _ What is that saying about fine wine? _

Before Ellie could control herself or talk herself out of it, unable to ignore her vibrating core, her lips pressed against his firmly. She knew she just had to have one small taste so that she wouldn’t get to live the rest of her life with regret. Bruce barely reacted, probably too much in shock about her surprising initiative.

She could feel his breath against her lips as she removed herself to lick her lips, trying to savor the taste.

His gaze alternated between her lips and her eyes in question, yet for some reason they still held an amount of arousal.  _ Who would have thought Bruce Wayne had such self-control? Unlike me it seemed. _

“What happened to wanting to stay professional,” he murmured.

Nibbling on her bottom lip seductively, feeling the air in the car thicken, Ellie looked up at him from under her eyelashes. “Who wants to stay professional when we can just as easily fuck?”

His pupils dilated at her brazen response, his breath ghosting against her neck in panted breaths.

“Fasten your seat belt then.”

* * *

Their lips clashed against each other as his hands wandered impatiently over her back, while hers were framing his face to hold him closer to her. Kissing him felt shameless, his tongue colliding with hers in a passionate dance, with the way her panties were starting to get wetter. Ellie thought all her boyfriends she had before him didn’t hold a candle to him, knowing that he definitely knew what he was doing with her mouth.

She pulled her mouth away with a sigh, fearing she was stupid for even wanting to distance herself from him. “Bedroom,” she moaned into his neck. The kissing and sucking feeling must have been too much with the groan leaving his lips, as he grabbed her butt with both hands in a lifting motion.

Ellie sighed and tightened her legs around his hips, getting the perfect angle to feel his growing erection press against her mound. Before she knew it Bruce was carrying her to his bedroom without any difficulties. In the back of her mind she noticed a dim light streaming inside the manor as they arrived, giving the room an ethereal atmosphere.

With a twist Bruce turned her around so her back leaned against his front, giving him the perfect opportunity to unzip her dress. And letting it fall to the ground with a soft sound. The only material now covering her body were her black lace bra and panties, matching her cocktail dress.

Bruce swept her hair to the side, giving him the perfect opportunity to pepper her neck with wet kisses, eliciting dreamy sighs from her lips. His hands found her panties covering her already dripping pussy, creating tingles in her belly. Thinking a little retribution was in order, her bottom found his crotch, rubbing in circles against it.

A smile built on her face as soon as she heard Bruce growl obscenities, but still creating friction against her butt. “Tease,” left his lips in his deep and dark voice, probably knowing what that tone was doing to her.

“I want to feel you,” she whispered in a confession as she bit her lip in impatience.

Bruce’s ghosted over her briefs, touching her in tantalizing circles. “Like this,” he whispered in her ear, leaving his warm breath against it.

Ellie shook her in disagreement, her eyes closed, thinking she wouldn’t be able to say out loud what she wanted him to do.

“Or like this,” he teased, letting his palm rub her lace-covered pussy, knowing she really wanted to feel him skin on skin and how he could probably feel the wetness pooling.

“Please more, Bruce,” she begged, she was starting to get desperate while he liked to torture her with teasing friction.

“You’re already dripping for me, Ellie,” Bruce’s voice whispered in wonder, before his hand moved underneath her underwear, touching her labia.

Ellie’s mouth opened, letting out a moan when his fingers gathered the wetness from her pussy, rubbing it against her engorged clit in circles. Her fingers found his hair, pulling at the strands passionately, eliciting a groan from his lips. While his right hand continued its ministrations nearly driving her wild, his other chose to pull a cup of her breast free, enveloping it in massaging strokes.

“You feel so tight, Ellie. I don’t think you’re ready yet for me.” With these words he unclasped her bra with one expert hand movement, turned her body around and laid her down on his bed.

“Bruce, what are you-?” Her shock must have been apparent on her face as she looked up at him, still fully clothed.

He languidly took off his tie, his shoes and socks, his pants and his shirt, leaving him bare in only his briefs. The material not hindering the least bit the view of his tented erection. Ellie kept quiet on the scar on his chest, knowing this wasn’t time for it.

“What does it look like, Ellie,” he said, coming over to the end of the bed, pulling her to edge so her panties were nearly aligned with his lips as he kneeled down with a dark stare. With his nimble fingers he finally pulled the last bit of her underwear down, making her more aware of the soft cotton sheets on her back. Ellie slightly moved her legs to make it easier, the moist lingerie now on the ground near the other clothes, yet still appearing in a disarray like they couldn’t get enough of each other.

“I want to make you feel all good and soft for me,” he admitted, widening her legs so her pussy was in full display to his eyes. His lips found her clit and sucked on it before his finger was added to the mix, inserting it into her channel with languid strokes. When his second digit was added, Ellie closed her eyes and threw her head back in bliss, eliciting a shameless moan.

“Bruce,” she sighed, grabbing him by his hair, trying to have him closer while he licked her thoroughly down there. “That feels so good,” she whispered, the buzzing feeling in her core bursting through her stomach and reaching her nipples.

Bruce’s humming intensified the sensation, getting the notion he was enjoying the prospect of bringing her pleasure.

Before she knew it her hands found her breasts, kneading them and twirling her nipples. Ellie could feel herself getting awfully close to coming.

A hum left her lips, she looked up to see Bruce’s face move up and down while kneading the flesh in her backside, showing a beautiful picture. “I’m close, Bruce,” she sighed, and swore right then and there by the dark, stormy gaze of his and how his thumb circled her clit incessantly, her muscles constricted around his fingers.

Ellie’s eyes closed in ecstasy, not expecting to come so soon. In the back of her mind she noticed Bruce licking the flowing juices clean like a cat not being able to sate its appetite.

“Oh my God,” she gushed, going with her fingers through her hair in disbelief.

His kisses on her hips and her belly diverted her attention back on him. “Did I make you feel good?”

Ellie nodded numbly, finding no words to describe how he made her feel. Humming, she opened her arms so he could slip through and kissed him within reach. “More than good,” Ellie whispered against his lips with a dopey smile.

“Great,” came his reply with a small smile on his face, as he tilted his head to press open mouthed kisses against her neck, tickling her slightly with his stubble.

Ellie could no longer control the giggle from leaving her,”I’m sorry,” she admitted, covering her mouth bashfully. “It’s just your beard stubble tickling me.”

Bruce threw her a mocking look, barely able to suppress the smile on his lips. “Is that so?” His twinkling eyes were a dead giveaway, promising nothing good. Pouncing like a panther on its prey, rubbing himself against her neck while sucking against her sensitive skin.

Her giggles turned into full blown laughter, crying out her surrender, “Stop it, Bruce! I can’t - Oh God...!”

Ellie could only see his impish smile, his hair disheveled from her impatient fingers, before he pressed his lips against hers. His prominent bulge rubbed on her nether regions, not seeming to care about her wetness gathering against his briefs. When his hands worked on pulling his remaining underpants down, her hands met his to help him.

Her hands wandered over to his chest and his shoulders, hugging him to her. Her lips met his neck, a sensitive spot of him as well as it turned out, prompting a satisfied groan from his lips.

“Oh, Ellie. I need condoms,” he admitted with a sigh his eyes closed.

“I’m not stopping you, Bruce,” she teased him, nibbling on his earlobe.

Bruce grunted impatiently before grabbing her by the hips, forcefully dropping her on the bed. At her yelp of surprise his heavy weight fell on top of her, his upper arm blindly stretching out in the dark to his nightstand.

Not able to really move at all, Ellie whimpered, “I want you now.” Her arms were stroking his ribs, while Bruce held several condoms in his hand. Her gaze went to his optimistic pile, raising her eyebrows sarcastically. “Wow, cocky much? You think you got the stamina to do it all night long, or what?”

Bruce smiled crookedly, languidly moving his hand up and down, and putting on the rubber on his swollen flesh. Ellie could only stare at his prominent size staring back at her, the veins protruding at the tip. “I can certainly try make you see stars.”

“Prepared then to see fireworks,” Ellie teased, taken aback when he kissed her.

The taste of his tongue, caressing hers greedily sent tingles up to her toes. As if having a mind of their own, her fingers stroked his back, trying to reach anything they could find. Besides his muscular upper body, Ellie took notice of a few scars criss-crossing on his back, but was soon enough distracted again by Bruce peppering kisses on her neck.

She could feel his hesitance, as if he wasn’t sure yet to unleash his wild side upon her. Ellie felt startled and a little bit vulnerable when Bruce looked her right in the eyes, his hands stroking her hair away in a gentle gesture. She swallowed, feeling his serious nature reach into her.

As if making sure she was alright with this, Bruce slowly lifted her leg over his hips, before  entering her with the help of his other hand. It had been a long time for her since her last sexual partner and she could feel his swollen member slowly stretching her walls.

Holding on to his upper arms, Ellie could hear Bruce groan tensely, “You’re so tight.”

Ellie whimpered when he hit a certain spot. Bruce tried to find a slow rhythm, in the hopes of letting her adapt to his size.

She closed her eyes, moving with him and arching her back. Ellie was aware that Bruce was restraining himself. The beads of sweat forming on his forehead and his bulging veins protruding on his neck were proof of that.

“It’s okay, Bruce,” she assured him, stroking his heated skin. “I want you to go faster.”

As if he felt compelled to go after what he really wanted, Bruce’s hips snapped into hers, knocking her back a bit. Ellie groaned in pleasure and felt compelled not to close her eyes as she watched Bruce finally fuck her into the mattress.

His now fully dilated eyes were staring right back at her, his mouth slightly open. She whimpered in bliss when she saw his big and weather-worn hands grasp her hips. Opening her legs further and lifting them over his ribs, Bruce could finally reach her everywhere.

His balls slapping against her ass cheeks, made her even wetter, as his hot breath blew onto her neck.

He was now truly hammering into her pussy, her juices coating his cock even further and sliding in and out of her faster.

“Bruce, oh my God. Don’t stop,” she moaned, the underside of his member hitting her clit deliciously and relentlessly.

Bruce only grunted in answer, his head lowering so his lips could find her swollen nipple, licking it abandon while one palm kneaded the other mindlessly.

“Oh my God.” She was so damn close, she could feel it. His sucking tongue coupled with his teeth weren’t helping matters at all in the end.

Groans and moans were vibrating against her breasts, prompting her to leave scratch marks on anything she could reach. His arms, nor his back were safe from her nails.

“I’m so close, Bruce. Please fuck me harder, please,” she begged, both of their skin now covered in sweat. He complied, but his hips stuttered when she bit into his neck like a wildcat, making him groan in pain and pleasure.

His hand found her clit, rubbing it with abandon and making her scream in ecstasy. Ellie only saw blinding stars behind her eyelids, almost fainting in earnest.

Jolted by her orgasm, Bruce only pumped a few times inside her before exploding himself.

His heavy body dropped on top of her own. For a moment she didn’t mind his sweaty body lying on her heaving breasts before his heat became too much.

“Bruce,” Ellie reminded him, tapping against his back like a wrestler admitting surrender and unable to take anymore.

His body lifted while trying to get rid of the condom before lying back down next to her. Ellie’s eyes were already closing due to her being worn out already when his naked body was spooning her from behind, with a tired sigh leaving his body.

“Did I make you see stars,” his roughened half-awake voice said behind her.

Ellie smiled half-heartedly. “Totally rocked my world,” she replied, lightly slapping his cheeks in teasing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me your thoughts. Let me know if you appreciated it.


	11. Good Mourning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after ... with some other guest stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to say I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was a small reprieve from the other chapters. Small hint what's going to happen in the following chapters. ;)

****_They told me once, "there's a place where love conquers all"_

_A city with the streets full of milk and honey_

_I haven't found it yet, but I'm still searching_

_All I know is a hopeless place that flows with the blood of my kin_

_Perhaps hopeless isn't a place_

_Nothing but a state of mind_

_They told me once, "don't trust the moon, she's always changing"_

_The shores bend and break for her_

_And she begs to be loved_

_But nothing here is as it seems_

 

_Sun is coming up oh, why, oh, why, oh, why…_

**_-Good Mourning by Halsey-_ **

* * *

Ellie woke up slowly, her muscles feeling sore like she had been running a marathon the day before. Behind her eyelids she could feel the annoying sunlight shining inside, which was weird considering … she always closed the blinds.

Feeling like something was within her reach, she just had to work her brain a bit, was bugging her subconscious. Furrowing her eyebrows with her eyes still closed, Ellie took notice of two things, no, three things actually.

A heavy weight settled in her chest at a sense of foreboding.

First, a warm body lying behind her, heating her up like a furnace.

Secondly, breaths of air settling against her neck.

And the third thing, when she finally had opened her eyes, a very big and manly hand being on her breast.

Like a shock wave everything came back to her, remembering yesterday’s events. Especially the steamy sex, Bruce going down on her and swearing she nearly fainted when he made her come.

Just thinking about it made her heat up and her core clench.

Carefully Ellie put Bruce’s hand away from her chest, only hearing his disgruntled sigh. She looked behind her, seeing him unguarded and without any worries for the first time. Bruce’s features were all soft and relaxed, nothing like he was in real life. He always appeared so tense and growly, like she said last night. Ellie snorted, she couldn’t believe she really had said that to him. His mouth was slightly open, emitting little snoring sounds, but not overtly so.

Feeling she was getting sidetracked, Ellie carefully left his body behind, in search of her abandoned panties lying on the ground. She was just staring at the clock - still enough time until she had to be ready for work - and pulling up her underwear, when-

“Leaving already?”

Ellie jumped in the air, turning around with a hand covering her bra-covered breasts. “Oh my God, Bruce.”

He was languidly leaning against the bed rail with his arm supporting his head, like he was just watching her get dressed. “I seem to remember you saying the words to me last night.” She sent him glare. “Screaming actually. Several times,” Bruce teased her mercilessly and with a smirk on his face.

Ellie rolled her eyes at his taunting tone and turned back to getting her clothes back on. “Very funny.” She rubbed her forehead, thinking. Sending him a serious look, Ellie tried to be honest and straightforward with him. “Look, Bruce…”

“I don’t already like where this is going.”

Snorting, Ellie tried not to hurt Bruce’s feelings. “Yesterday was amazing. I just … I’m not ready yet for anything. If you are actually on the market for serious relationships.” She felt validated by the clenching of his jaw. “You’re my boss and you’re basically a known eligible bachelor, so … at the moment I’d say I’m more interested in a friends with benefits thing, you know?”

Bruce seemed debating with himself, for some reason a part of him didn’t like her suggestion, before he nodded. “I understand.” He was pulling the words apart, as if trying to comprehend what he was saying. “I would have suggested the same thing. I don’t need any distractions right now.”

Ellie’s eyes lit up. “That’s great. Well, I don’t know about you, Bruce, but … I’m starving.”

“I’ll make us some breakfast.”

* * *

Bruce definitely went all out when making breakfast. When he said ‘ _some’_ Ellie thought he meant he would only make a few things, but she was dead wrong. Before she knew it Bruce had prepared bread rolls, toast, various kinds of jam, boiled eggs, lunch meat, fruit and even cornflakes.

Ellie raised her eyebrows in surprise, not having expected this at all. “You really go all out, don’t you, Bruce?”

“Go big or go home,” he stated, inducing her into a fit of giggles. Bruce smiled at her response, and asked, “So, coffee or tea?”

Ellie hummed in thought. “Coffee, with sugar and milk, please.”

And with that both decided to dig in, Bruce choosing coffee with jam spread out on his toast, while she took bread rolls with boiled eggs and lunch meat. Ellie was slightly amused by Bruce reading the newspaper, she kind of always envisioned him doing that after waking up. Checking up on the rest of the world before anyone else was awake.

With a sigh Ellie admired Bruce’s ability to make the eggs just right. She didn’t like it when it was dry after cooking it too long, but he managed to do it the way she liked - a bit runny and soft.

A comfortable silence settled around them, Ellie was glad that Bruce was not known to be someone who wanted to fill the quietness with unnecessary talk. Although their momentary calmness was interrupted soon enough.

“You’re already awake, Master Bruce,” a man with an English accent said behind them. Ellie turned around in her seat, seeing an older man with glasses stand in the kitchen and noticing how he assessed her. She could be wrong, but it seemed like he was surprised to see her.

Bruce was standing up and ventured to the coffee maker to prepare another cup. “I decided to make Ellie here, breakfast. Come, have a seat, Alfred.” He made short introductions, “Alfred, meet Ellie.”

Standing up, trying to be her formal self, Ellie shook the man’s hand. “Good morning. Ellie Rhodes, Bruce’s new head of IT.”

Alfred’s features softened in understanding, reciprocating the gesture. “Alfred Pennyworth. The butler of Bruce.”

_Okaay, he totally won that round._

She smiled, seeing Bruce putting a steaming cup of black coffee on the table. All three of them decided to sit down, while Alfred chose bread rolls with jam.

A thought crossed Ellie’s mind, remembering what Alfred just said. “You know, I’m kind of surprised, if Alfred is your butler. I would have pegged you for someone who would wake him just now if you needed something.”

Bruce recognized the teasing in her voice. “I’m not helpless, you know. I can handle things just fine by my own.”

Alfred, who seemed to enjoy himself immensely, leaned back in his chair while warming his fingers.

“Oh, really?” Ellie asked, feeling mischief course through her blood. “How long have you two known each other?”

“Since his birth,” Alfred answered, smiling fondly at the memories. “And even longer.”

Ellie could just imagine a young Bruce running around the estate, wreaking havoc on poor Alfred.

She turned towards Bruce’s trusted friend, knowing he was the one with all the secrets. “So,” she wiggled her eyebrows, “any interesting stories to tell?”

The groan next to her was very prominent and pain-filled. “Oh God, now there is one more person ganging up on me.”

Ellie laughed at his seeming dilemma and felt absolutely delighted when Alfred began, “Well…”

“Would you look at the time?” Bruce’s chair was pushed back soundly as he folded the newspaper back together. “We have to go if we want to survive the morning traffic.”

Ellie smirked crookedly, she wasn’t aware that the Gotham traffic jam would be so bad at this time of hour. She still stood up and sent Alfred a grateful and mischievous look, knowing she had gained a wonderful accomplice for the future. The butler offered a glance in return which showed a certain wisdom and playfulness.

Both shook their hands in goodbye. Alfred’s eyes lit up. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rhodes.”

Ellie couldn’t stop the groan from leaving her lips. “Why does everybody insist on calling me ‘ _Miss Rhodes’_?” She paused, “And likewise, Alfred.” It was strange how Bruce’s butler managed to invoke her to call him by his first name already.

“I’ll meet you outside, Bruce,” Ellie said, already moving ahead.

“So,” Alfred started, “she seems different than the other lady friends you normally have, Master Bruce.”

Bruce’s face twisted at hearing him call his latest conquests ‘ _lady friends’_. “Ellie’s just a friend,” he clarified, shaking his head defensively.

“Oh, really? She’s just the first woman you ever made breakfast for,” Alfred reminded him, remembering all the times he had to prepare meals for the Wayne heir.

Bruce inhaled a deep breath, his shoulders dropping at being discovered. He sent him a warning and frightened glance. “Don’t tell the others yet.”

Alfred merely smiled serenely at his words. “They’d be delighted.” He paused, remembering a certain someone. “Well, most of them. And for what it’s worth, Miss Rhodes seems like a wonderful person. I like her.” Hearing him say his approval that openly was a huge declaration.

Bruce sighed, his features relaxing. “Yes, I know, Alfred.” With these words he said goodbye to his trusted ally, leaving for his car. Outside he saw Ellie leaning up against the vehicle.

“So … Alfred, huh?” With arms crossed, Ellie sent him a meaningful glance.

Bruce hummed in agreement.

With her head tilted, she continued, “I like him.”

He could only groan, knowing how similar both were when it came to sarcasm and sassiness. “Not you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments of love are always appreciated.


	12. Haunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce POV. Surprise surprise - Batfam showing their faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about the batfamily. Hope that's okay. To me it was. ;)

_I was as pure as a river_

_But now I think I'm possessed_

_You put a fever inside me_

_And I've been cold since you left_

_I've got a boyfriend now and he's made of gold_

_And you've got your own mistakes in a bed at home_

_I'm hoping you could save me now but you break and fold_

_You've got a fire inside but your heart's so cold_

 

_'Cause I've done some things that I can't speak_

_And I've tried to wash you away but you just won't leave_

_So won't you take a breath and dive in deep_

_'Cause I came here so you'd come for me_

 

_I'm begging you to keep on haunting_

_I'm begging you to keep on haunting me_

**_-Haunting by Halsey-_ **

* * *

_Bruce POV_

The only things Bruce was able to hear over the keypad noises, were the occasional flapping of wings and the cascade in the background as he tried to do some research on the computer. It almost felt like a vicious cycle how often the bad guys were sent to Arkham, only to break out soon enough.

This time it was Harley. And of course it was the Joker again who helped her escape.

So far the search had been fruitless, but when it came to these two he could be patient.

In the back of his mind, Bruce could hear the elevator door coming from upstairs, opening.

“How was patrol?” He called out, without turning around. He could already guess who was behind him.

“The usual,” Dick replied with a sigh, putting his escrima sticks away. “And Damian,” Bruce threw them a sidelong glance, seeing Dick give Damian a dark glare behind his mask, before he turned back to his detective work, “decided to beat a criminal to a pulp.”

“That guy had it coming,” Damian growled. “I thought he was reaching for a weapon,” he shrugged, choosing to take off his costume and mask with Dick.

Bruce sighed, letting the computer work on stand-by as he turned in his chair. He rubbed the bridge of his with closed eyes. “I thought we talked about this, Damian. No unnecessary violence.”

His son tilted his head to the side, glaring at him. “You do it all the time, father.”

“You’re not me, Damian. And I don’t want you to be.” Bruce stood up, hoping that one day he’d be able to get through to this stubborn and aggressive little kid. His head turned when he saw Alfred get into the Batcave with a tray in his hands.

“Looks like you two are back in one piece.” He put the tray with the drinks down, letting Dick and Damian take their refreshments.

Although Damian still looked at the concoction in suspicion.

“Do not worry, Master Damian, I didn’t poison it.”

Damian still narrowed his eyes, not the least bit put at ease.

Dick chuckled, taking a huge gulp to sate his thirst. He cocked his head to the side. “See, still alive. If anything, Alfred would find a way that foul play couldn’t be detected.”

Bruce rolled his eyes at his children's antics.

“Anyway…” Dick diverted the topic, turning back to Bruce, “did anything happen today?”

Bruce averted his eyes, deciding to stand up and inspect his tech for adjustments. “Hmm, no. Nothing at all.”

He could feel someone’s stares boring at the back of his head - having a feeling it was Alfred with a knowing look, and Damian because he had just perfected the art of reading people's faces.

Alfred cleared his throat, his blank stare turning to one of mischief. Bruce already knew nothing good could come out of it.

“By the way, were you ever the gentleman and also brought Miss Rhodes home after taking her to work? I mean, you did make her breakfast this morning.”

Bruce was surely displaying an interesting picture with his eyes narrowed agitatedly and his fists clenched at the side. “You’re off the Christmas list, Alfred,” he muttered.

He took notice of his two children look at him in confusion - Dick with mirthful hope in his eyes and Damian with his usual annoyance set in his furrowed eyebrows.

“Who is this Miss Rhodes, Dad?” Dick asked, his hands put on his hips in a confident manner. He was so getting teased for this, Bruce just knew it.

“She is nobody of importance, Dick,” Bruce emphasized uselessly.

“Oh, really?” Dick still didn’t let up, turning to Alfred for help with his arms crossed. “Alfred?”

“Miss Ellie Rhodes, head of IT at Wayne Tech. Stayed the night and for breakfast.” He created a pregnant pause, “Which Master Bruce made all by himself. I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Breakfast?” Dick repeated, his eyes shining in laughter and with deep interest. “Whoa. Okay, seriously, who are you and what did you do to Bruce?”

The tall, dark-haired man rolled his eyes, knowing he’d rather get his back broken a thousand times over by Bane than face this kind of torture.

“It was just breakfast,” Bruce growled out through clenched teeth.

Dick chuckled, already seeing right through him. After all these years he should be able to recognize when he was lying to others or to himself.

“Keep telling yourself that. Oh, and when will we meet the future Mrs. Wayne?”

Bruce snorted. He smirked, though his eyes didn’t share the humor. “That’s cute,” he joked with him. “Never,” Bruce stated seriously.

His oldest son chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder in passing. Seeming to remember something, he called out without turning his head, “I might have some tips for you. You know, now that you’re interested in having a serious relationship with someone.”

With that the ever existing nuisance was finally gone through the door.

And Bruce was facing another person besides Alfred, who hasn’t yet uttered a single word since then.

Damian was staring at him with that unnerving and unwavering gaze. “So…” he began, “you made this woman breakfast.”

Bruce only groaned tiredly, while rolling his eyes. And there he thought, they’d be over it already. “You know what? Say all you want, I don’t even care.” He turned his body away, not only ending this discussion with his words, but also physically.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, father. Because in the end, it is dangerous to care for someone, or even worse, admit to have feelings for them.”

Bruce slowly turned back around, exhaling. Alfred looked indignant, as if he still couldn’t believe Damian would ever utter such horrific words. Although they both should know by now how deeply rooted this twisted darkness was in the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul.

“Master Damian,” his butler exclaimed, the man still hadn’t given up on teaching the boy some manners and some sort of conscience.

“It’s okay, Alfred,” Bruce calmed him, Damian was his responsibility. “Please leave us alone for a bit. Damian and I need to talk.”

Alfred gazed at him searchingly, before nodding with his lips pressed together. “As you wish, Sir. I’ll dust the Ming vases then.”

Bruce smiled, appreciating Alfred’s thoughtfulness by giving them some privacy. He kept staring at his son all the while, Alfred’s shadow slowly moving farther away. Bruce had no idea how to handle this kid, even now.

The dark-haired man inhaled deeply, hoping the fresh air would give him some clarity on what to say to Damian. “We need to talk about tonight’s patrol first,” he began, already anticipating Damian’s resistance to compromise.

“I already told you. I saw that guy reach for something on his ankle. I reacted, end of story.”

Bruce exhaled a strained breath, feeling a headache already coming on. “Care to tell me the truth, Damian?” He was rubbing the bridge on his nose, waiting for him to answer,

“It _is_ the truth,” he exclaimed, his arms stretched out in front of him in a defensive gesture.

“I mean the full truth. Tell me, Damian.” Bruce knew he wouldn’t get through to him with courtesies, just with strictness and order.

Staying patient and balancing his stubbornness with his own, even when Damian only offered his silent glare, Bruce finally got his answer.

“He was a low life. The scum that feeds off Gotham. I was doing you a favor,” Damian admitted with a growly voice and his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“You wanted to kill him?” Bruce could read between the lines, he could feel the deep hatred right beneath the surface.

“Yes,” he replied with no remorse. “I would have if Dick hadn’t stopped me. Besides,” he shrugged carelessly, “I heard about your own dark past. What’s the difference between you and me?”

“We don’t kill,” Bruce bellowed, “There’s a code we live by. Without it we wouldn’t be better than the bad guys.” He went closer to him, hoping it could finally get through his thick skull. “And I never wanted you to become like me, Damian.”

Damian looked up at him, his mouth set in a grim line. “Well, guess what? I was already made like this. You can’t change nature,” the boy forced out through gritted teeth before ultimately leaving.

“I never wanted you to become like this though,” Bruce muttered with regret into the dank cave. Alfred found him later on this way, seeing a dejected young man stare into nothingness.

“It’s is not your fault, Sir.”

Bruce shook his head, feeling helpless and out of control - for the first time in so long. “Damian is so angry at the world, he’s already filled with so much hatred, I don’t know what to do about him.”

Alfred tried to find the right words to say to the distraught soul, aware of the fact that Bruce must feel responsible for it. “You knew of the consequences of being raised by people like Talia and Ra’s al Ghul. You could see it the moment little Damian caught your eye.”

“I could see it.” His eyes turned somber, remembering the day he first saw the darkness inside Damian. “I just … he shouldn’t have to carry this burden on his shoulders at such a young age.”

Alfred smiled wistfully, remembering a young Bruce at this age who had everything ripped from his hands and laid a comforting hand on Bruce’s shoulders. “Do not worry, Sir. The young Wayne just needs a father. And, besides, I remember a young Bruce Wayne who had just lost everything he held dear, mad and angry at the world. Just be there for him, support him, prevent him from going an even darker path.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reveal your thoughts to me.


	13. Hold Me Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small Bechdel test is achieved. Another character reveals his face. Fun shenanigans, as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there's one line which shows I'm not an American, lol. Please don't kill me, guys!

_My demons are begging me to open up my mouth_

_I need them, mechanically make the words come out_

_They fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce_

_Ignite me, licking up the flames they bring about_

_I sold my soul to a three-piece_

_And he told me I was holy_

_He's got me down on both knees_

_But it's the devil that's tryna_

_Hold me down, hold me down_

_Sneaking out the back door, make no sound_

_Knock me out, knock me out_

_Saying that I want more, this is what I live for_

**_-Hold Me Down by Halsey-_ **

Ellie was grateful that it was already Friday, her head was filled with ideas on relaxing methods like her favorite tv shows or a soothing bubble bath. Probably both.

The ringing of her telephone came during the day.

“Hey,” The familiar voice rasped through the receiver, creating an involuntarily smile on her face.

“Hey, you,” she said in return. Ellie was nibbling on her pen, feeling devilish and good-humored all of a sudden.

“Are you busy right now?” Either Bruce was flirting or he really was a caring person who didn't want to intrude on her work.

Ellie chuckled. “If anything, you’re my boss and can tell me to drop stuff anytime, right?”

The deep chuckle of his did things to her, bringing her back to the night a few days ago. It was hard to find someone who actually knew what he was doing in the bedroom. His hot breath ghosting over her neck, whispering dirty words in her ear, as he pounded into her like a driven man. The intense look in his eyes, fully dilated pupils. The heat enveloping them both, sweat glistening both of their bodies. Grunts and moans of pleasure filling the room.

Ellie had to fan herself at the thought. Yep, definitely didn't forget one moment of their time together.

His voice pulled her out of her lust-filled mind. “So, … there’s this event tonight...”

“Uh huh,” Ellie teased, feeling the hesitance of this normally self-assured guy.

“It's something a good friend of mine is hosting and I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me?”

“Formal affair?” Ellie guessed, getting the feeling that everything in Gotham was a formal affair.

Bruce chuckled, confirming her suspicions. “Political event. And yes. You need a dress?”

Ellie raised her eyebrows in disbelief, not expecting his suggestion. “Uh, maybe. Why?” She would think her social reputation would be shot to hell in a snap, if she arrived with the same dress twice.

“Maybe you want to go dress shopping with Barbara?”

The idea of spending some quality time with Babs was definitely appealing to her. “Definitely. You seem really close to your employees, don't you, Bruce?”

Bruce snorted. “Barbara is an old friend of the family. And don't worry, it's on me. I invited you, so you shouldn't worry about paying.”

“So, you're giving me full access to your credit card,” she teased him and was rewarded with his deep chuckle.

“Try to stop Barbara from getting carried away though. Tonight. 9 o'clock. You want to get there by yourself, or do you want me to pick you up?”

She pondered over that for a bit. “I think I'll get there by myself, but if you don't mind, could you give me a ride home?”

“Of course,” Bruce assured her. “See you then. Happy dress shopping,” he said playfully, before hanging up.

* * *

“I got to tell you, this is by far my favorite part of the day,” Barbara said, while waving Bruce's credit card triumphantly in the air.

Ellie narrowed her eyes, before she took the black rectangular object away from her. “Bruce already warned me about you. I just want one dress.”

Barbara pouted her lips at that, feeling like her greatest joy had been taken away from her. “Fine.”

As the brunette opened the door to the store, her curiosity of her could no longer be ignored. “So, are you coming too?”

“No.” Barbara sighed. “I'm not really a fan of these fancy-schmancy events.” She shrugged.

Ellie couldn't agree more. “Yeah, I get it.”

The redhead was looking at the different dresses held on display when she looked up at her. “What kind of event is it again?”

“Political,” Ellie offered helpfully.

She wasn't surprised when Barbara raised her eyebrows taken aback, before wandering on. “Okay.”

Ellie was just inspecting a low-cut dress in red, making her doubt she'd ever have the courage to dress up in something like this. She could feel her friend's stare next to her. “Uh, I'd say, not too risqué,” she pointed with her eye to said material, “but also not really modest.”

Ellie paused in thought. “That's always my agenda,” she teased, both erupting into giggles. “We should do this more often, Babs.”

Barbara's eyes lit up in excitement, she was so close to clapping her hands with glee. “I couldn't agree more.”

“How about brunch or lunch date in two days, or so?”

“Can't wait.”

* * *

When she arrived at this event, she went with her hands over the soft material of her golden sequin dress. It showed the bare skin of her back and she could feel the air around her, straps crisscrossing at her back. Ellie was actually looking forward to arriving like this, feeling like she could appreciate the look of awe on Bruce's face more.

Holding her clutch in one hand, while she brushed a wavy strand away from her face, she gazed at her new surroundings in amazement.

This way Ellie could take her time, eyeing the subtle decorations hanging on the walls.

Everything was shining with strings of light and balloons in the colors of the American flag. She rolled her eyes at that. Sometimes she had to smile at people wanting to remind others how much they loved their country.

Seeing a huge picture being held up by strings, made her eyes narrow in concentration at the blurry face staring back at her. Feeling grateful that she finally thought about bringing her glasses in her clutch, Ellie put on her visual aid. She recognized a familiar face, a man with handsome features whose prominent jaw and blond hair should be ringing a bell.

Ellie felt compelled to slightly turn her head when she felt someone's eyes staring at her. She blushed and jolted when she saw Bruce himself, wearing a dark suit with a blue tie looking at her.

She could feel his admiring gaze wandering over her dress before landing back on her eyes. At last, Bruce's confident steps finally reached her.

“Hey,” Bruce said in greeting.

“Hey, you,” Ellie said in return as they were standing in such a short distance that she could feel Bruce's breath ghosting against her lips. His eyes gazed at her lips and then kissed her on the cheek. “You look beautiful,” he admitted with a whisper against her skin.

She smiled with a nod, appreciating the compliment.

The light hit him just right that Ellie could finally see that his eyes were sparkling in a hazel hue. Until now she would have thought they were just a brown color, but she was glad that she took a second glance. Not to mention the color of his tie complimented him just perfectly.

Ellie bashfully pointed to her glasses. “I'm blind if you didn't already notice.” In the end, she let them on, just to make sure.

Bruce chuckled, showing her a short glimpse of his flawless teeth. “It makes you endearing.” He sent her another gaze filled with admiration.

Ellie cleared her throat, looking down to gather her thoughts, before she dared another look at this political figure. “Do I know this guy?” Ellie asked, getting the feeling that she should.

Bruce turned to the image that caught her attention and involuntarily smiled. “Maybe. I think so. That's Harvey Dent.”

Her eyes instantly lit up in recognition, as she nodded.

He continued, “He's the former district attorney. With this campaign he wants to run for mayor, to displace Mayor Hill and hopefully clean up the streets of Gotham in the long run.”

“I think I saw him a few times on the news. I should have recognized those chin dimples though.”

Bruce coughed awkwardly at that, not seeming to know how to react to her words, as he sent her an intense gaze.

“Did someone mention me?”

The new voice came from her right, instantly dousing her in flames. A sense of foreboding overcame her, already having a feeling who was standing on her right. The first things she took notice of, were the straw-colored hair and aforementioned chin dimples, as the man smiled in mischief.

“Bruce, nice of you to come,” Harvey said to his friend, shaking his hand and clapping each other on the back. Bruce let himself display a small smile, it was actually nice to see him with his closest friends. It still wouldn't solve the mystery called Bruce Wayne. Harvey turned now to her. “And who is this lovely lady you brought tonight?”

She stopped forward with her hand shyly stretched out. Her cheeks were still tainted red. “Mr. Dent, Ellie Rhodes.”

“Oh please. You already managed to break the ice by complimenting my chin dimples.” Harvey rubbed his cheeks with a smile. “And Harvey is just fine. If I may call you Ellie, of course?”

She smiled, pressing her lips together. Ellie nodded.

“So, what does a woman like you want with a guy like Wayne?” Harvey asked with a teasing smirk, raising his eyebrows in mischief.

Bruce exhaled loudly in annoyance at the joke made at his expense, while Harvey and Ellie both chuckled good-humoredly.

Ellie though sent Bruce a meaningful look. “Well, despite being a wealthy billionaire with more money than anyone can spare, he still finds the time to fund organizations. Even Forbes and any other bachelor blog thinks he's too good to be true. Not to mention, I guess he's pretty okay company to be around.” She tilted her head, sending Bruce a coy gaze.

Harvey teasingly rolled his eyes with a sigh. Ellie could feel Bruce's stare boring into her.

“And I take it, you only like spending time with him because of his money?” Ellie really should try to withhold her sarcasm when meeting new people.

Both chuckled. Harvey began, “No. We met when I was still the DA and Bruce here was offering his financial support to the police force and in my work to cleanse the streets.” He held a pregnant pause. “Although, now that I think about it, I did kind of need him for his money.”

It was now Bruce's turn to roll his eyes with a smile. “Hilarious. Shouldn't you be doing your speech, Harvey?”

“Bruce, always so eager in breaking up a pleasant time. Ellie,” Harvey then turned to her with a pointing finger, “don't let this one convince you to leave early.”

Ellie raised her hands in mock surrender. “You got it,” she assured him.

Harvey then moved to the stairs that were leading up to the stage.

“So, you really do know everyone, don't you, Bruce?” Ellie stared straight ahead, but a teasing smile could be seen on her face. Harvey chose this moment to thank everyone for coming and was now holding a glass of bubbly in his hands. “Harvey seems nice though,” she threw in.

The corners of Bruce's lips lifted. “I do have some connections,” he admitted, as if he noticed it just now. “Trust me, normally Harvey is far more serious. You just saw him from his good side.”

“Basically I just met the politician?”

Bruce shrugged, saying, “So to speak,” before they both hushed to listen to his speech.

“You all know how I had dedicated my time and work in cleaning up this city from crime and corruption. In the end, it feels like we barely scratched the surface and it's true. We have to do so much more. I believe that change also has to come from within. This is why I wanted to run for mayor, by taking on a position where I can accomplish the most. By taking on the root of our problems, where people in high power used to cover up felonies and are bought off.”

Ellie turned to Bruce, so she could whisper in his ear, “Did he just imply that Mayor Hill is corrupt?”

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows, his head slightly lowered to make it easier on her small size. “I guess so.”

“By making a difference through,” Harvey raised his glass of champagne, “Change. To a new Gotham.”

The applause had died down, when Harvey reached them again. “Daring speech,” Bruce said. “Like the optimism and _We Can Do It_ message in your words.”

Even Ellie had to smile at his underlined sarcasm.

“It's what people need to hear right now,” Harvey offered.

Their conversation was cut short by a female voice saying, “You’re right, Harvey. I, for one loved your speech.”

The petite blonde who had joined them now, had her hair pulled up in a chignon. Her dark gray dress was also sparkling in the light, brightening her golden strands even further. Ellie could feel that Harvey and her were close, with the way she snuggled against him. And how his features softened, the mask of the politician falling off with the fond smile on his face.

Harvey was now holding her in his arms, as he turned back to them. “Ellie, may I introduce you to Grace. My girlfriend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ellie said, with a smile, while shaking the woman’s hand.

“Likewise.” She still had this smitten look in her eyes, how the spark seemed to dance in them.

“Hey, Bruce,” Grace greeted the man standing next to her.

He merely nodded, like some men did without having to directly shake someone's hand.

"So, Grace, what do you do?" Ellie really didn't like doing small talk with people she had just met. It would be so much easier if she actually already knew these two a little bit.

Grace smiled. "I'm a sculptor. I tend to work with clay and anything else I can get my hands on."

Harvey pointed exuberantly to his girlfriend, his champagne swishing in the process. "She's amazing. You should see her work."

Bruce chuckled at his appraising words.

"Oh, stop it, you," Grace said to Harvey, shoving him playfully against his chest.

Bruce bowed his head down, so he could whisper conspiratorially in her ear, "Trust me, this could go on for a while."

Ellie smiled, while rolling her eyes. It seemed like something Bruce and her had in common, feeling nauseous at the picture of lovey-dovey couples. She at least tried to put on a brave face, to pull through the rest of the evening.

* * *

"Wow, I don't know if it's just me, but ... political events are just the same as any other gala or charity I ever went to here."

Bruce chuckled at her opinionated words, as he led her to the front door. He had a supportive hand at the naked skin of her lower back, his warmth spreading over her body like wildfire.

"You get used to it after a while," Bruce soothed her, the corners of his mouth lifted in a joyful smile.

“You know, I'm really glad that you didn't look like an American flag just there,” Ellie praised him and took notice of Bruce looking down on himself.

“Trust me, I was very mindful of _not_ wearing a star-spangled suit.”

“Good work. Nice what you did there though,” Ellie threw in, and marveled at the playful look on his face.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh really? So, when Harvey wanted to grill you about any upcoming projects with LuthorCorp, who again asked him when the special day would be that Harvey would finally propose to Grace?"

"Is that your way of asking if there _are_ any upcoming projects with LuthorCorp?" Bruce retorted, his head swinging to her in question.

Ellie cocked her head to the side. "I know that you and Luthor are not really the best of buds, so no. I don't think you want him to get his hands on your R&D department, and vise versa."

Bruce narrowed his eyes at her, like he was trying to solve a puzzle. "You worked for Lex Luthor, didn't you?"

She nodded. "At that moment, I used to work for Lionel Luthor actually. I decided to leave as soon as his son took over," Ellie explained, not ever wanting to go back to that place. Besides, she never thought she'd actually work in Metropolis. Both of their cities had kind of a weird rivalry going on. And not just between the Metropolis Bulldogs and Gotham Nighthawks.

Bruce nodded in understanding. "I see." He probably knew Lex Luthor personally. Didn't billionaires have some sort of rich club they were members of?

They were getting awfully close to the door. "So, that is me," Ellie said, going up the stairs with her keys ready.

Bruce hummed only.

"So, I ... still had a good time, after all." She was twisting the keys in her hand and looked up to find Bruce already sending her smoldering gaze under the door lamp.

Bruce didn't say anything, just hummed with a nod.

"Though I'm still not a fan on these … social … things." Ellie was getting the gist that she was grasping for straws on what to say, now that the evening came to a close.

One corner of his mouth twisted in amusement. "Duly noted."

Damn, that guy was good! He didn't even have to say anything, and she was putty already in his hands. Though ... as much as the idea was appealing to her, with how much time she had gotten to spend with him, dating a billionaire was so out of the question. And unrealistic.

She could feel the sexual tension rising even further, the longer they stood there, just staring at each other in loaded silence.

Before Ellie could talk herself out of it, she hurriedly moved forward on her tiptoes, kissing him on the lips. She could feel his gasp at her brazen display of affection. She used his momentary shock to probe his warm tongue. Ellie pulled in a deep breath when Bruce pulled her in by her lower back. With her head tilted to the side, she could finally reach him better. In the back of her mind, she took notice of him enveloping her cheeks with his hands on her face.

She sighed into his mouth, when Bruce sucked her tongue. In the end, she had to breathe through her nose to enjoy this kiss even longer.

Ellie noticed how the kiss turned from feral to soft, as Bruce left kisses on her now swollen lips. With his mouth lingering on hers, he whispered against it, his breath tickling her, “Now, that’s how you end an evening.” Bruce was leaning with his head on hers, their eyes still closed.

Her lips lifted involuntarily. “You’re such a charmer, Bruce.” She was nibbling on her bottom lip, savoring the remaining taste of him.

“I thought you already knew that,” Bruce teased.

“I can’t invite you inside,” Ellie sighed. “As much as I would want to have amazing sex with you again.” She could hear his deep chuckle. “But I’m so tired.”

“First time for everything,” Bruce complained teasingly.

She let out a giggle. “I have to go inside,” Ellie lamented, opening her eyes to find his fond smile still on his face, his eyes slowly reaching hers.

Bruce hummed.

Ellie chuckled, biting her lip. With a deep sigh she finally kissed him on the cheek in a hurry, his stubble slightly tickling her.

The only sound he could hear were her tinkling laughter and her door locking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have used Rachel but I felt more comfortable using Harvey's fiancée from the animated series.
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> Show me your love. Kind thoughts are always appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> **So, that was the first chapter and I hope you liked my OC so far. Some of you who read my other Aquaman story might have recognized my other character, Alyssa. I'm trying to include Ellie with other female characters.**
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> **Good news, I have the story already written down but I still need to get in touch with my beta for my upcoming chapters. Fingers crossed.**
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> **I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Please leave a review if you want! You can also hit me up on tumblr** _ **(@love-dria),**_ **twitter** _ **(@love_dria)**_ **or instagram (** _ **@stepinlilac)**_ **.**


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